A Family United
by cleotheo
Summary: When single parents, Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger, get together they hope that they can build the perfect family with their daughters. At first their wish seems to be coming true, but then a face from the past threatens their happiness and they find themselves fighting for their family. Family based Dramione.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N – It's new story time, and this one is a family based story. There is 28 chapters and updates will be Tuesdays and Thursdays. This is also a whole story split into two parts. Part one is very light and fluffy with no drama, but part two is all about the drama.**

 **And in case anyone missed my notes on yesterdays stories, I just want to alert people to the fact my laptop charger is broke and while I've got my old one working enough to be able to post at the minute, if it stops working I might just vanish until my new charger arrives. So while I'm hoping to update as normal, if I do fail to update, you know why, and when my new charger arrives and I'm back, I will make up for any missing chapters (although fingers crossed there is none)**

 **Now back to this story, which I hope you all enjoy.**

* * *

 **Part One – New Beginnings.**

It had been a regular Thursday morning for Draco Malfoy, until his secretary poked her head around the door and announced she'd just had an urgent message from his mother, Narcissa. Narcissa's message asked Draco to go to the manor immediately, although it didn't say why she needed to see him so urgently. Worrying in case there was something wrong with his mother or his father, Draco hastily put his work to one side and flooed to his childhood home.

Draco arrived in the room his parents had set aside for visiting guests to enter the house, but he quickly made his way towards the front room. The minute he entered the front room Draco was almost knocked off his feet by his two year old daughter, Mia, as she flung her little arms around his legs. Mia had long dark blonde hair, and had inherited her father's grey eyes and pale skin.

"Hello, princess." Draco picked up his daughter in his arms before turning to where his parents were standing nearby. "Why is Mia here? Where's Astoria?"

Astoria Greengrass was Draco's wife, although these days all that was keeping them together was Mia. The pair had been on the verge of separating when Astoria had discovered she was pregnant. Since the birth of their daughter nearly three years ago the couple had just drifted even further apart.

"She dropped Mia off earlier, claiming she was going shopping," Narcissa replied. "But when I was in her backpack fishing out her favourite book, I found this."

Narcissa handed Draco a piece of folded parchment, with his name hastily written on the front. Opening the note up, Draco read the few lines Astoria had scribbled down. Basically the note said she was leaving him and wanted nothing more to do with either him or Mia.

"I take it you've read it," Draco said to his parents, as he put Mia back onto the floor and told her to go and play with her dolls.

"Yes," Lucius nodded. "I'm sorry, Draco."

"I'm sure you're not sorry to see the back of Astoria," Draco snorted. He knew neither of his parents like his wife, not that he could blame them as he wasn't over keen on her himself these days.

"No, I'm not," Lucius admitted. "But I'm sorry about the way she's done this. And more importantly I'm sorry she's just abandoning Mia."

"I guess I shouldn't be shocked really," Draco sighed. "She's never been very maternal."

Right from the beginning Astoria had shown little interest in their daughter, except for when she could use the little girl to score points against Draco. A prime example was when she fought Draco over her name, insisting that they didn't follow the Black family tradition of naming her after a star or a constellation. Despite Draco wanting to honour his mother's family, he'd let Astoria have her way and they decided on Mia together. He did however put his foot down when Astoria wanted to hire a nanny to look after Mia. Astoria and her sister, Daphne, had a nanny when they were younger, but Draco was insistent that their daughter was brought up by them. Narcissa had looked after him when he was a child and as he pointed out to Astoria, it wasn't as if she had a job to consider, she just spent her time spending his money. Despite the lack of a nanny, Astoria still managed to evade most of her motherly duties. It was Draco that nursed Mia when she was ill, got up to her in the night when she cried and tucked her in every night.

"Has Mia asked for her?" Draco asked, wondering what his daughter thought of being dumped by her mother.

"Of course not," Narcissa replied with a delicate snort. "She never does. It's always you she wants, it always has been."

"Is it any wonder with the mother she's got?" Lucius remarked. "She's spent most of her time being dumped on us during the day and ignored by her mother on a night."

"Exactly how often does Astoria leave her here?" Draco frowned. He knew his parents liked to have Mia and looked after her at least once a week, but most nights when he returned from work Astoria and Mia were at home and Astoria gave the impression they'd been together all day.

"Three, sometimes four times a week," Narcissa admitted.

"Why have you never said anything before now?" Draco asked his parents.

"Honestly, because she's better off here than with Astoria," Narcissa replied. "Plus I didn't want to cause any more problems between the pair of you. The last thing Mia needed was to be living with two parents at each other's throats all the time."

"Yeah, because it was so much better for her to be living with two parents who ignored each other," Draco muttered. "I've really made a bad job of this, haven't I?"

"Don't beat yourself up Draco, you're a great father," Narcissa told her son. "Mia adores you, and you stuck with Astoria so she could have a mother. It's not your fault Astoria is an unfit mother."

"Speaking of Astoria, what are you going to do now?" Lucius asked.

"I'm going to head home and see if she's already gone, and if she has I'm going to pay a visit to her parents," Draco answered. "Will you be okay to look after Mia?"

"Of course," Narcissa replied. "You go and get things sorted."

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Lucius asked his son.

"Actually, yes," Draco replied with a nod. "I left the office in a hurry and I have a meeting just after lunch, could you deal with it?"

"Of course," Lucius reassured his son. Despite being officially retired Lucius was still a regular fixture in the office and he knew enough about the business to be able to handle a meeting with ease.

Draco thanked his parents before making his way to where Mia was sitting on the floor. After checking his daughter was okay, he gave her a kiss and promised to be back soon. He then headed back towards the floo room with Lucius and while his father flooed to the office he headed home.

Home for Draco was a luxury penthouse that technically belonged to the family business. Draco had wanted to get a proper house when Mia was born, but Astoria liked living in a fancy penthouse with a posh address. Considering how much time Draco and Mia spent at the Manor, he hadn't pushed the issue of moving and they'd remained in the penthouse.

At first glance everything looked the same in the penthouse, but Draco knew Astoria was long gone the second he entered the master bedroom. All her clothes were missing from the wardrobe and drawers and her dressing table, which normally contained her vast make-up and fragrance collection, was also empty. A check of the safe in the back of the wardrobe also revealed that all of her jewellery was missing. The en-suite bathroom was also devoid of all of Astoria's toiletries.

When Draco re-entered the bedroom from the bathroom he noticed something on his bedside table. When he went to investigate he found Astoria's wedding and engagement ring sitting on top of a document of some sort. The document was divorce papers and when Draco looked through it he was surprised that Astoria wanted nothing from him. She'd already signed the papers and left a note with them asking Draco to sign them and drop them off with her family's solicitor as soon as possible.

Leaving her rings on the bedside table, Draco took the divorce papers and headed back into the front room. He then flooed to his solicitor, who also happened to be his best friend Blaise Zabini, and asked the secretary for an immediate appointment. Because of their long-time friendship Blaise was more than happy to squeeze Draco in and within five minutes Draco was settling down in his friend's office and explaining what had happened with Astoria.

"I want you to check these over and I want you to knock me up a custody agreement," Draco said to Blaise as he handed the divorce papers over. "I want sole custody of Mia."

"I can do that easily," Blaise replied. "When do you want them for?"

"As soon as possible," Draco told him. "If the divorce papers are all in order, I can sign them now. But you're to hold onto them until we have the custody agreement back from Astoria. Once I'm sure she can't take Mia, she can have her divorce."

"At first glance the papers look fine," Blaise said. "I'll check them over properly and I'll have them ready for you to sign first thing in the morning, along with a custody agreement. As long as Astoria isn't going to be awkward, things could be sorted in a matter of weeks.

"Let's hope so," Draco said as he stood up to leave. "Thanks Blaise, I appreciate you getting things done so quickly."

"That's what friends are for," Blaise replied with a smile. "Don't worry about a thing, Draco. I'll handle this."

After leaving Blaise's office, Draco was going to return to the Manor but instead he headed for Astoria's parents' house. He didn't know if the Greengrasses would know where Astoria was, but even if they didn't they would be in contact with her at some time. As the youngest Astoria was spoilt rotten by her parents and while they didn't see Daphne much as their oldest daughter had moved abroad, they doted on their youngest offspring.

"I'm afraid we haven't seen Astoria," Mr Greengrass said dismissively.

"When you speak to her you can let her know that I'm sending custody papers to her solicitor. Once she's signed them I'm more than happy to let her have the divorce," Draco said.

"You're wanting custody of Mia?" Mrs Greengrass questioned in surprise. She was a pretty old fashioned witch and was totally shocked that a man wanted custody of a child, in her experience most men tried to avoid parental responsibility.

"Yes," Draco answered. "After what Astoria has just done, I would prefer it if she never saw my daughter again."

"What about us?" Mr Greengrass asked. "She is our granddaughter."

"You're welcome to come and see her at the manor any time," Draco replied, even though he knew Mia would never see her maternal grandparents. She saw precious little of them as it was and with Astoria leaving Draco saw no reason why the couple would make an effort to see their little granddaughter.

After leaving the Greengrasses to pass the message onto Astoria, Draco headed back to the manor. When he arrived Mia was curled up asleep on the sofa, having her afternoon nap. Draco settled down beside his slumbering daughter, doing his best not to wake her, while Narcissa went to sort some tea.

"How did things go?" Narcissa asked as she handed Draco a cup of tea and sat down on the chair opposite him.

"She's definitely gone," Draco told his mother. "She left divorce papers for me to sign and there's nothing of hers in the penthouse."

"Did you sign the papers?"

"Not yet. I'm getting a custody agreement drawn up and once Astoria has signed it, she can have her divorce."

Narcissa breathed a sigh of relief at the mention of Draco getting custody of Mia. She would hate to lose her granddaughter because Astoria changed her mind and decided to come back for her.

"Do you know what you're going to do now?" Narcissa asked her son.

"I don't know," Draco sighed, looking down at his daughter who was clutching a soft toy shaped like a unicorn. "But I guess our lives are going to be pretty different."

"Why don't you move back home?" Narcissa suggested hopefully. "You're going to need help looking after Mia, and let's be honest this place is much more homely than the penthouse. Plus Mia's used to spending her time here, she'll love being here full time."

"I'll think about it," Draco told his mother.

Even though Draco's response wasn't an immediate yes, they both knew he would be moving back to the Manor. With working full time he would need some sort of childcare plan and it would be nice for Mia to have a proper family home. Maybe back home at the manor, Draco could give her the stability she needed to help her cope with her mother abandoning her a few months before her third birthday.

* * *

When Lucius returned from the office that first evening he reassured Draco he could handle things for as long as his son needed. Draco thanked his father, grateful for all the help he was receiving from both his parents. With Lucius to help him with the business and Narcissa to help him with Mia, hopefully he would be able to cope with being a single parent.

After having dinner with his parents, Draco decided to take Mia home. He was still mulling over his mother's offer to move into the manor, but initially he wanted things to remain the same for his daughter. As they went through their usual bedtime routine, Draco wondered if Mia would mention her mother. However the little girl never mentioned Astoria, all she was bothered about was getting a second story out of Draco.

The following morning Draco dropped Mia off with his mother while he returned to see Blaise. At Blaise's office he signed both the divorce papers and the custody papers. Blaise then sent the custody papers to Astoria's solicitor, with a promise to get in touch with Draco the second he got them back. He also reassured Draco that providing Astoria didn't make a fuss about custody, the divorce would be final pretty quick considering both parties had signed the papers without a fuss and Astoria wasn't making any demands.

By the end of the weekend Astoria had returned the custody papers, fully signed, and she'd received the divorce papers. Also by the end of the weekend Draco had decided to move back to the manor. For the first time he also decided to broach the subject of Astoria with Mia, who so far hadn't mentioned her mother.

Sitting Mia down he explained the best he could that they would be moving into the manor with Lucius and Narcissa. Mia was thrilled to be moving in with her grandparents and barely batted an eyelid when Draco said that Astoria wouldn't be joining them, it would be just the two of them. Mia's lack of response to Astoria's departure just made Draco more determined that his soon to be ex-wife would never bother his daughter again. Obviously Astoria had been even more detached with Mia than Draco had realised, and it saddened him to think that at nearly three years old Mia had no real mother figure.

Moving into the manor went smoothly and Mia had great fun decorating her new room with Lucius and Narcissa. Narcissa had insisted that Mia helped pick out her own bedroom décor, resulting in a very pink girly room. Luckily Narcissa had a keen eye for decoration and ensured that the room had splashes of white and cream to soften the effect of all the pink and purple and wasn't too garish.

A few weeks after they moved into the manor, Narcissa broached the subject of Mia's childcare. While Narcissa loved looking after her granddaughter, she mentioned a wizarding pre-school that she'd heard about. The pre-school also led onto a school that children could attend until they went to Hogwarts. Narcissa had a few leaflets about the pre-school and the school it was attached to and she handed them to her son.

"It's not that I don't love having her, because I do," Narcissa reassured Draco. "I just think this is a great opportunity for her. She'll get to make some friends her own age, and she'll get an education before Hogwarts."

"I think it's a great idea," Draco said, looking through the leaflets. He thought it would be great for Mia to make friends at an early age and learn to socialise with other children early on in life.

"Good," Narcissa smiled in relief. "I thought you were going to hate it and refuse to allow Mia to go."

"Why would I do that?" Draco asked.

"Astoria did," Narcissa told her son. "I actually heard about the place a few months ago, but when I mentioned it to Astoria she dismissed the idea."

"Why? It sounds perfect for Mia."

"She was worried about who Mia might meet," Narcissa replied. "You know what Astoria was like, she wouldn't want her child associating with what she would deem the wrong sort."

Draco knew that in Astoria's eyes the wrong sort were either people without a lot of disposable money and people with muggle connections. Draco's family had long since realised their error about muggleborns, but Astoria and her parents were still very much old school purebloods who refused to move with the times and admit all magical people were equal regardless of birth. As for money, that was how Astoria judged people. If they didn't make much or splashed their cash, she thought poorly of them.

"I'm not Astoria, and I won't be denying Mia a chance to make friends," Draco said. "Sign her up."

"I'll do it tomorrow," Narcissa told her son. "At her age you can pick how many days a week she attends, I was thinking three days. If she's not keen we can scale it back, but if she likes it we can add more days."

"I think three days is perfect for a start," Draco told his mother.

The following day Narcissa signed Mia up for pre-school and by the end of the week she had experienced her first day mingling with other children. Draco had been fretting about Mia all day, but when he returned home from work his little girl was bursting to tell him all about her day. She'd quickly made a new friend called Zara, and spent most of the time gushing about her, but she also told Draco about all the fun things there was to do.

After her first day, Draco's anxiousness eased and within a few weeks he knew he'd made the right call in letting Mia go to pre-school. The little girl was having so much fun and according to Narcissa, it was a struggle to get her to leave her the pre-school at the end of the day.

Three months after Astoria left, it was Mia's third birthday. Draco had been worried in case Astoria tried to get in touch, but luckily there was no word from his now ex-wife. Hopefully she'd gone for good and he and Mia could move on with their lives without her.


	2. Chapter 2

It had been a long week for Draco and after finalising the paperwork on a new contract for the potions division of the company, he decided to call it a day and go home. It was now five months since Astoria had left him and Mia and with his parent's help they were adjusting to life without her just fine. Lucius was still helping out in the office so Draco wasn't working such long hours and Narcissa was still more than happy looking after Mia when she wasn't attending her pre-school.

Mia was still loving her pre-school and Draco knew that his daughter was currently on a play date with her best friend, Zara. Narcissa had mentioned that the two girls had met up numerous times outside of pre-school and according to his mother, Zara's mother was a really nice witch.

"You're home early," Narcissa commented when Draco poked his head into the front room to say hello.

"I decided to have an early finish," Draco told his mother. "I thought I would grab a quick shower, and I could go and pick Mia up from her play date."

"I'll give you the address," Narcissa said.

"Thanks," Draco called as he turned and headed up to his room.

After showering Draco changed into a more casual outfit of dark trousers and a grey shirt, before heading back down to where his mother was waiting. Narcissa handed him the address of Mia's friend, and gave him rough directions. The house was in a small wizarding village that Draco had visited once before and he was pretty confident he could find the house where his daughter was visiting.

When he arrived in the village Draco found the house he wanted quite quickly. The house was on the end of a row of buildings in a nice suburban neighbourhood. Just opposite the house was a small park with plenty of equipment for both younger and older children. Deciding the village was a nice place to raise a family, Draco made his way up the path of the house he was visiting. Knocking on the door, he looked around the neat garden which housed some flowers his nature loving mother would be proud of.

When the door opened Draco tore his eyes away from the plants and turned his attention to the woman in front of him. His friendly smile and greeting froze in shock when he found himself face to face with someone he hadn't seen since school.

"Granger."

"Malfoy," Hermione smiled as she inclined her head at the clearly shocked blond wizard.

"You're Mia's friend's mother," he said, stupidly stating the obvious.

"Yes, I'm Zara's mother," Hermione replied. "Are you coming in?"

Draco nodded and followed Hermione into the front hallway. The entire ground floor looked to be open plan and a glance to his left found Mia, and a cute little brunette girl who he assumed was Zara, sitting playing on the floor.

"Do you want a cup of coffee?" Hermione asked. "I was expecting Narcissa so the kettle's on and everything's ready."

"Does mother normally stay for a drink when she picks Mia up?" Draco asked curiously.

"Most of the time," Hermione replied. "Sometimes she doesn't even leave, and we sit chatting while the girls play. So do you want a coffee?"

"Yes please. That would be lovely," Draco answered. When he was younger the thought of sharing a drink with Hermione would have been laughable, but he'd changed a lot since his early school days.

Hermione led the way into the kitchen, which was towards the back of the house but still open enough so they could keep an eye on the two girls. As they walked past the girls Mia looked up and waved, but for once she didn't come running straight to Draco, instead she was content to play with her friend.

While Hermione finished the coffee, Draco perched at the table and watched her bustling around the kitchen. Towards the end of school the pair had managed to put their past differences behind them and in their last year they'd been Head Boy and Girl together and had formed a bit of a friendship. However after school Draco had lost track of Hermione, so he had no idea what her situation was.

One thing he did know was that she'd grown up into a beautiful witch. Back in school he'd witnessed glimpses of how pretty she truly was, but back then her studies had come before her looks. Even now she wasn't immaculately put together, like Astoria had always been, but she clearly put more effort into her appearance. She'd somehow managed to tame her wild hair, and it now cascaded halfway down her back in soft curls. Draco doubted she was wearing much make-up, but her complexion was perfect.

"I'm assuming your mother didn't mention who I was," Hermione commented as she placed two steaming cups of coffee onto the table and slid onto the chair opposite Draco. "You looked rather shocked to find me answering the door."

"Mother did fail to mention who you were," Draco admitted. "All she said about you was that you're a very nice witch, with a lovely daughter."

"That's very nice of her," Hermione smiled shyly. "Your mother's a very nice witch as well. And Mia is a lovely little girl, she's a credit to you."

"I think my parents have helped a bit," Draco admitted. "My mother especially, she's been great with Mia, both before and after Astoria."

"I was sorry to hear about your divorce," Hermione offered.

"Thank you," Draco replied. His divorce had made all the papers, but he was refraining from badmouthing Astoria and revealing just how cruelly she'd abandoned her only child.

"Narcissa mentioned that she doesn't see Mia any more," Hermione said hesitantly. She actually knew the whole story of what had occurred, but she was unsure if Draco would appreciate his mother talking about his private life.

"No she doesn't." Draco sighed deeply as his eyes wandered over to where Mia was happily playing with Zara. She looked so happy with another child and Draco felt bad that she wouldn't get a sibling to play with.

"I know how tough it is being a single parent," Hermione said, noticing where Draco's attention was.

"You're a single parent?" Draco turned back to Hermione, curiosity burning in his grey eyes.

"There's just me and Zara," Hermione answered. "I mean I don't know exactly what you're going through dealing with your wife leaving, but I do know what it's like to bring up a child on your own. Even with a good support system, at the end of the day there's just the two of you."

Draco nodded, knowing exactly what Hermione meant. His parents were great and even though he and Mia lived at the manor he was still the one to do the bulk of the work with his daughter. He was the one who put her to bed, and it was his bed she would crawl into early on a morning for a cuddle. So while his parents were around, he often felt as though it was him and Mia on their own.

"Does Zara's father have any contact with her?" Draco asked.

"No, he never has," Hermione answered. "I met him while I was on holiday, and it was just a summer fling. We both knew we had no future and it was going to end when I returned home, so we had our fun and parted on good terms. However when I discovered I was pregnant I got in touch with him and he made it clear he didn't want to know. It turns out he had a fiancée the entire time and he was just using me for a last fling before his wedding."

"Nasty," Draco grimaced. "So I assume that was the extent of your contact with him."

"Yes," Hermione nodded as she took a drink of her coffee. "I wasn't going to force him to be involved, so that was that. I had Zara and I've raised her on my own ever since. Of course my friends and the Weasleys are a great help, sometimes I don't know what I would do without them."

"My parents have been amazing," Draco said. "Father's being helping out at work so I don't have to work such long hours and mother's always looking after Mia."

"Good support is always great to have," Hermione remarked. "And I'm more than happy to have Mia around. Zara's loving having someone her own age to play with. All the other children we know are either older and can do stuff she can't, or are younger and can't do anything."

"I know what you mean," Draco said as he finished off his coffee. "The only other child we know is Blaise and Pansy's little boy, and he's just turned one. I know Mia's loving having a friend to play with, all I hear at home is Zara this and Zara that."

"Zara's the same," Hermione laughed. "Whenever she comes back from pre-school, Mia's the only topic of conversation for hours."

"It's nice that they've made friends so young," Draco commented, once again returning his attention to where the two girls were now rolling around on the floor tickling each other.

"It is," Hermione agreed, as she also watched the two girls.

After a few minutes of watching the girls playing, Draco stood up and announced it was time for him and Mia to be heading off. Hermione also jumped up and the two made their way over to their children and began the task of separating them. Neither girl was happy about the interruption, but they cheered up when Hermione pointed out they would see each other the next day at pre-school.

"It's Zara's third birthday next weekend," Hermione said as she walked Draco and Mia to the door. "We're having a little party, and we would love for Mia to come. You're also more than welcome," she told Draco with a smile.

"Are you sure?" Draco questioned warily. While he and Hermione had sorted things back in school things between him and her best friends, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, had remained prickly.

"I'm sure," Hermione nodded. "I would really like you to come."

"We'll be there," Draco promised.

"Great," Hermione smiled. "I'll give the information about times and stuff to Narcissa next week. I would tell you it now, but Molly's still making preparations and to be honest I have no idea what time to say."

"Next week's fine for the timings," Draco replied. "I'm always free on the weekend as I tend to spend them with Mia. We'll be able to make whatever time."

"Excellent," Hermione beamed. "See you next week then."

Draco nodded and said goodbye to Hermione, while their daughters also said goodbye. Eventually Draco managed to get Mia away from Zara long enough for Hermione to hustle her daughter back indoors. He then apparated them back home where an excited Mia rushed off to tell her grandmother about her playdate.

"You were longer than I expected," Narcissa said to Draco once Mia had finished talking and was settled in the corner with a book.

"I stayed for coffee," Draco told his mother. "Although you could have mentioned I was going to Hermione Granger's house."

"Have I never mentioned her before?" Narcissa asked puzzled. "I could have sworn I told you who Zara's mother was."

"Well you didn't," Draco retorted.

"You didn't cause trouble did you?" Narcissa asked her son, mortified at the thought he might have offended her new found friend.

"Of course not," Draco snorted. "I'm not that same horrid little boy who judged people on their blood. We actually got on really well. We talked for a bit and she invited us to Zara's birthday next weekend."

"Just Mia, or you and Mia?" Narcissa questioned.

"She said I was more than welcome," Draco replied. "But I think she was just being polite."

"But you're going, aren't you?" Narcissa prodded.

"Yes, I'm going. I promised to take Mia, and as long as it isn't going to be a problem I'll stay."

"Good," Narcissa smiled, before she turned her attention back to the magazine she was reading. "Mia will enjoy it, and it might be nice for you to make some new friends. I know you've got Blaise and Pansy, but that's about it."

"Thanks for pointing that out. I hadn't noticed my lack of friends," Draco muttered sarcastically.

In all honesty he wasn't the best at making friends and there was very few people he met that he felt comfortable enough with to let his guard down and be himself. Funnily enough Hermione was one of those people and both back in their seventh year and earlier, he'd felt completely at ease with her. Despite their bad start and complicated past, he found he could really talk to Hermione and he was actually looking forward to the weekend when he would see her again.

* * *

 **A/N - Good news, my charger has arrived in super quick time so there will be no issues with missing updates.**


	3. Chapter 3

Hermione was trying to get Zara to sit still long enough for her to tie the little girl's hair up when the doorbell went. Almost immediately Zara had wriggled out of her mother's grip and was running towards the door. It was the day of Zara's party and she was excitedly waiting for Mia to turn up. Hermione followed after her daughter and when she reached the door she opened it with an excited Zara jumping up and down beside her.

"Hi Hermione," Harry Potter greeted as he stepped into the house with his and Ginny's six month old son James. Turning to his goddaughter, he ruffled Zara's hair. "And how's the birthday girl? Are looking forward to your party?"

"Yeah," Zara muttered as she turned around and trooped back to the front room.

Harry and Hermione followed her and Hermione finally managed to tie her daughter's hair up.

"Was it something I said?" Harry asked Hermione. "Normally she's jumping all over her Uncle Harry."

"Don't take it personally," Hermione chuckled. "She's just waiting for Mia to arrive."

"Mia, is that Malfoy's little girl?" Harry checked. He knew Zara had made friends with the youngest Malfoy and he knew she was expected at the party, along with her father.

"Yes," Hermione nodded. "You will behave this afternoon won't you?"

"Don't worry Hermione, there'll be no trouble," Harry reassured his friend. "I know Malfoy and I didn't get along in school, but we were just kids back then. We've both grown up and I'm sure we can get along just fine now."

"Good," Hermione smiled. "I want nothing ruining Zara's day."

"And nothing will, not with Molly in charge," Harry laughed. "Speaking of which, I'm assuming she and Ginny are already here."

"They're in the garden," Hermione replied. "I've tried getting Zara outside, but she's insisting on waiting here for Mia."

"Let me try," Harry offered. Handing James over to Hermione he made his way to where Zara was sitting looking out of the window. "Hey squirt," he said, squatting down beside her. "Do want to come outside with me and James?"

"No." Zara shook her head as she continued her vigil. "I'm waiting for Mia."

"She'll still come if you're outside," Harry told the little girl.

"No." Zara shot a Hermione like stare at Harry, before returning her attention to the window.

Recognising he wasn't getting anywhere with the stubborn three year old, Harry returned to where Hermione was sitting with James. Hermione was chuckling quietly at Harry's attempt to move Zara.

"Don't say it," Harry muttered, pre-empting Hermione telling him she told him so. "That kid is as stubborn as you."

"That she is," Hermione agreed as she handed James back to Harry. "Why don't you head out the back, everyone else should be arriving soon."

Harry took James out into the back garden while Hermione waited in the front room to greet their guests. Over the course of the next fifteen minutes several people arrived, but not Mia and Draco. Arthur arrived with Bill and Fleur and their six year old daughter, Dominique. Fred and George then arrived with their wives, Angelina and Alicia. With them they'd brought George and Angelina's eighteen month old, Roxanne, while Alicia was heavily pregnant and looked as though she would pop any minute. Neville and Luna arrived next with their three month old twin boys, who were both fast asleep in their pram.

"Mia's here," Zara suddenly called, jumping up from her seat beside the window.

Hermione got up and by the time there was a knock on the door Zara was waiting impatiently next to it. The second Hermione opened the door Zara rushed forward and dragged Mia into the house.

"Whoa there," Hermione called as Zara began to lead Mia away from the door. "Come back here and let Mia take her jacket off." While the two girls skulked back to the doorway, Hermione turned to Draco and welcomed him into the house. "Sorry about that, Zara's just a touch excited."

"Mia's the same," Draco said as he helped his wriggling daughter out of her jacket. "It's taken me ages to get her ready, she won't sit still for more than two minutes."

"The joys of toddlers," Hermione laughed as she took both Mia and Draco's jacket and hung them in the hallway. "The party's in the back garden, I'll show you through."

Zara and Mia skipped on ahead as Hermione took Draco out into the back garden. It wasn't a huge garden, but it was more than large enough to hold everyone quite comfortably. When they emerged into the garden Mia stopped in her tracks and once Draco was beside her, she wrapped an arm around his leg and clung onto her father.

"It's alright sweetheart," Draco soothed his daughter as he knelt down so he was her height. "Zara will look after you and I'll be right here, all the time."

With a bit of coaxing from Draco, Mia took hold of Zara's hand and the two three year olds toddled over to a nearby blanket and sat down. Mia's nerves were evident as she kept surveying her surroundings and looking warily at all the people.

"I hope she'll be okay," Draco said worriedly. "She's not used to being around so many people."

"Don't worry, no-one will bother her," Hermione reassured Draco. "I'm sure by the end of the afternoon, she'll be running around without a care in the world."

"I'm sure you're right," Draco said, still keeping a close eye on his daughter.

Hermione was about to reply and suggest they head over to where the adults had gathered, but the door interrupted her. Apologising to Draco she went back inside and answered the door. This time it was Percy, his wife Audrey, and their five year old daughter, Molly.

When Hermione returned to the garden she was pleased to spot Draco over with the other adults. He didn't look entirely comfortable mingling with so many Weasleys, but Fred soon said something to get the blond laughing. Hermione was relieved to find Draco coping and when she looked over to where Zara and Mia were sitting, she noticed that Mia looked a lot happier. She did occasionally steal glances over at Draco to ensure he was still there, but she looked happy enough with Zara.

"Malfoy's grown up nice," Ginny remarked as she came up beside Hermione and handed her a glass of juice.

"What?" Hermione looked at Ginny with a frown. Despite being friends for a long time she still struggled with the way Ginny would jump into a conversation without any warning, more often than not she would just say whatever was on her mind, even if it had nothing to do with anything.

"I'm just saying, Malfoy's good looking," Ginny repeated. "Not that he wasn't always nice, but now he's pretty hot."

"And you're telling me this because?" Hermione asked.

"Just saying," Ginny shrugged.

"As long as that's all you do," Hermione warned.

Ginny liked to try and play matchmaker for Hermione, much to the brunette witch's displeasure. A couple of times Hermione had humoured Ginny and gone on dates with guys she'd recommended, but she soon found her friend chose the dates based solely on looks. While every wizard she went out with was attractive, they had nothing in common with Hermione and she was bored rigid all evening. In the end Hermione had told Ginny no more fix-ups, but the redhead still liked to try and point out good looking men to Hermione.

"You know, you also have stuff in common with Malfoy," Ginny remarked. "You said it yourself back in school. You had a lot in common when you were head students together."

"Don't start playing matchmaker, Gin," Hermione sighed. "Our kids are friends, end of story."

Not wanting to give Ginny a chance to continue on with matchmaking, Hermione excused herself to go and see to the girls. Grabbing two cups of juice, she went and checked on Zara and Mia, before returning to the adults. Draco was sitting alone on one of the garden chairs, so Hermione made her way towards him.

"Can I get you a drink or anything?" Hermione asked.

"I'm okay," Draco answered, holding up his nearly full glass. "The twins have been keeping me filled up."

"Is everyone being okay with you?" Hermione questioned as she sunk into the chair next to him. "I warned them all to behave."

"It's fine," Draco replied. "We've all grown up and put the past behind us. Everyone's being really friendly. I even had a chat to Potter about his Quidditch career."

"That'll please Harry, he loves to talk quidditch," Hermione said, rolling her eyes. "Wait, you didn't insult him or anything did you?" she asked worriedly. "Please say you didn't tell him you thought he was rubbish or anything."

"Relax, I was actually complimentary," Draco chuckled. "Potter is a brilliant player, and he's a world class seeker. With him playing for England we might actually stand a chance at the world cup next year."

"Wow, I never thought I'd see the day when Draco Malfoy said something nice about Harry Potter," Hermione laughed.

"Neither did I," Draco admitted. "There was a time you couldn't have forced me to admit he was a good seeker, but I've grown up and I'm more than happy to admit he's good. Now your other friend however, I'm not sure I could have been complimentary there. Speaking of which, where is Weasley?"

"Portugal," Hermione replied. "He signed for a Portuguese quidditch team a few months ago. The offer was too good to turn down apparently. They could guarantee him first team action, they had a load of sponsorship deals lined up and they gave him a luxury penthouse."

"Nice," Draco whistled lowly. "Although Portugal must be pretty depleted of talent if they want Weasley. I know he's your friend and all, but he's a pretty average player."

Hermione didn't take offence at Draco, as she knew he was speaking the truth. While she didn't know a lot about quidditch she knew that Ron was considered an average player at best. While Harry's career had sky-rocketed and he'd became a big star, Ron struggled to gain first team action with his team. When he'd accepted the position in Portugal, Ginny had explained to Hermione that it was the fact he was a foreign player that was the big draw. Apparently a lot of the European teams liked to boast having a foreign player on their team, and usually they became the star of the team.

"So why isn't Weasley here?" Draco asked. "Even if he lives abroad surely he can pop back for the odd day."

"He sent Zara a card, but he made it clear when he left that he wouldn't be returning in the foreseeable future," Hermione answered. "Who knows when we'll see him again."

"You don't sound particularly bothered," Draco noted.

"I'm not sure I am," Hermione replied, making sure none of the Weasleys were close enough to hear. "Our friendship started to disintegrate a long time ago. To be honest we were only still friends because of Harry and the rest of the Weasleys. We started to drift apart towards the back end of school and it just got worse once we left and began our different careers. Big quidditch star doesn't really gel well with lowly Ministry worker."

"First of all, it seems to work fine with Potter," Draco pointed out. "The two of you still look to be great friends. And secondly I doubt you have a lowly job at the Ministry. Knowing you, you're probably running a department or something."

"Okay, maybe my job isn't lowly," Hermione admitted. "But I don't run a department. I don't have all the extra time needed to run a department, I've got Zara to think about."

"So what exactly do you do?" Draco asked.

"I'm a prosecutor in the legal department."

"That's definitely not a lowly job," Draco remarked. He knew to be a prosecutor you needed lots of qualifications, both from school and from within the Ministry itself. Holding down such a demanding job and being a single mother was most certainly impressive, well it impressed Draco anyway.

"And what about you? You took over the family business, didn't you?" Hermione asked. She felt like she'd done nothing but talk about herself and her life, but Draco was surprisingly easy to talk to and she found herself sharing more than she intended.

"I did," Draco nodded. "But father's back with the company now, and I suspect getting him to retire again will be a tough job. As it was he was always in the office, but these last few months I've been relying on him a lot more. He's practically a fixture in the place again."

"Do you want him to retire again?" Hermione inquired. The way Draco spoke about his father gave her the impression he was enjoying having him around the office.

"Not at the minute," Draco admitted. "I appreciate him being around, it gives me more free time for Mia. She's my priority, and I'd rather concentrate on her and let father deal with the business."

"How's she adjusting to life without her mother?" Hermione asked.

"Better than I could have hoped," Draco replied. "She seems to be taking it all in her stride, I'm just worried it could affect her at some point. I mean, it has to have some sort effect when your own mother abandons you before you're even three."

"I think the same about Zara," Hermione confessed. "Granted she's never known her father, but one day she's going to ask about him."

"Will you tell her the truth?" Draco asked.

"Yes," Hermione nodded. "I know it's not nice, but I'm not going to lie to her. I just hope she won't be too affected by the fact he never wanted to know her."

"She's got you, and that's the important thing," Draco told Hermione with a smile.

"And Mia has you," Hermione smiled back at Draco. "I'm sure when the time comes to tell her about Astoria she'll be upset, but the important thing is that she's got a father who loves her and is there for her."

As the pair continued to talk, they failed to notice Molly and Ginny over the other side of the garden. The two witches had their heads together and their main focus was on how good Hermione and Draco looked together and how much at ease they were with each other. Even Zara and Mia were getting along brilliantly, and the pair looked to have forged a close bond already.

* * *

After Zara's party, Draco decided to take a more hands on approach to Mia's pre-school visitations. Twice a week he was the one to drop her off and pick her up, while his father covered for him at work. More often than not Draco was also the one to take Mia to and from her play dates with Zara. A few times he'd even stayed with Hermione and the pair had chatted nicely while their daughters played together.

While Draco insisted the change of routine had nothing to do with Hermione and their growing friendship, Lucius and Narcissa suspected otherwise. There was no denying that their son was a lot happier these days and he looked forward to play dates just as much as Mia.

It was now a couple of months after Zara's party and it was common for Draco and Hermione to spend a good ten minutes or so chatting when they picked the girls up from pre-school. One Friday they were just talking as usual when Hermione mentioned her plans to take Zara to the zoo on Sunday afternoon.

"Would you and Mia like to join us?" she asked. "I'm guessing Mia's never been to a zoo before."

"No, she hasn't," Draco replied. "Neither have I, for that matter."

"Sorry, I never thought it might be too muggle for your liking," Hermione grimaced, hoping she hadn't put her foot in it with Draco. She was enjoying getting to know him, and she was coming to really value their blossoming friendship.

"The muggle thing isn't an issue for me any more," Draco reassured Hermione. "I do however find it pretty nerve wrecking to venture into the muggle world. I've only done it a few times, so I'm a bit wary."

"It was just a suggestion, you don't you have to come if you're uncomfortable," Hermione said.

"No, we would love to come," Draco said. "Just as long as you don't mind venturing out into the muggle world with someone who knows nothing about it."

"I have no problems with that," Hermione smiled. "A few trips out are all you need to get used to things. Ginny was the same, but Harry persevered and now they often flit between the two worlds."

"I don't think I'll be flitting any time soon, but a trip to the zoo shouldn't hurt," Draco said. "Now, what do I do about money? I can get some changed at Gringotts, but to be honest my last few encounters with muggle money didn't go well. I don't really understand why muggles have coins and paper, and why a handful of some coins amount to the same as one piece of paper."

"Leave the money to me," Hermione chuckled as she thought about the trouble Draco could get into handling muggle money.

"I can't expect you to pay for us," Draco said, shaking his head. "Malfoys pay their own way in life."

"When we get back I can work out what I spent on you and Mia and you can give me some money if that makes you feel better," Hermione offered.

"It does," Draco nodded.

"Great," Hermione smiled. "If you and Mia come to mine on Sunday morning, about half nine, we can go from there."

"We'll be there," Draco promised.

When they picked the girls up, a few minutes later, both Zara and Mia were thrilled at the idea of spending yet more time together. Zara immediately knew what a zoo was, but Mia needed to be told it was a place where they could go and see some animals. Once she knew what to expect Mia was just as excited as Zara and the two toddlers started jabbering onto each other about animals.

"Can you understand those two?" Draco asked Hermione as the foursome walked along the street. Mia and Zara were in-between them, with each little girl holding onto her parent's hand.

"At the minute, no," Hermione answered. Both Zara and Mia were normally very eloquent for three year olds, but occasionally when they got excited they spoke to each other in what sounded like nonsense to adults.

"At least they understand each other," Draco chuckled.

After walking to the place where they usually parted, Draco and Hermione each picked up their little girl and after a round of final goodbyes, they headed home, both of them looking forward to the weekend.


	4. Chapter 4

"You've got a date," Ginny grinned at Hermione.

Hermione had taken Zara for dinner at The Burrow on Friday night and Harry and Ginny were there with James. Over dinner Hermione had mentioned her plans for Sunday with Draco, and she hadn't missed the smiles Ginny and Molly had shared at the news.

"It is not a date," Hermione insisted. "It's just like any other time we meet up for Zara and Mia to play together."

"Except this time, you're going out and you'll be spending the entire day with him. It's a date," Ginny stated triumphantly.

"It's not a date," Hermione repeated. "A date does not involve children."

"It does when you're a single parent," Ginny retorted.

"It doesn't," Hermione shot back. "A date involves dressing up and going out for the evening as a couple. A date does not involve taking two excited three year olds to the zoo."

"That sounds more like a nightmare," Harry laughed. "Rather you than me, Hermione."

"I'm actually looking forward to it," Hermione told her friend.

"Yes, because you're going on a date," Ginny remarked with a mischievous smirk. "And everyone looks forward to a date."

"How many more times, it's not a date," Hermione hissed at Ginny. "Draco and I are just friends."

"But you'd like it to be more," Ginny teased, unable to let the subject rest.

Hermione shot Ginny a steely glare, before turning her focus onto her daughter beside her. However everyone in the room had noticed that Hermione hadn't denied Ginny's claims about Draco. Hermione clearly wasn't as immune to the former Slytherin as she liked to claim.

* * *

"Ooh, a date," Narcissa cooed when Draco mentioned his and Mia's upcoming trip to the zoo with Hermione and Zara.

"It's not a date," Draco told his mother.

"It sounds like one to me," Narcissa retorted.

"It doesn't sounds like one to me," Lucius piped up. "I see nothing romantic about taking two three year olds to see a bunch of smelly animals."

"Exactly," Draco said, grateful for his father and his rational view on things.

"However, it does sound like a prelude to a date," Lucius added with a smirk. "Integrating yourself with a pretty woman's child is a good way to earn yourself a proper date."

"I am not trying to integrate myself with Zara to impress Hermione," Draco argued, glaring at his traitorous father. "I'm being nice to the mother of Mia's friend, that's all."

"That is not all," Lucius snorted. "Being nice is making polite conversation when you see each other, it's not spending the entire day together. That my son, is the prelude to a proper date. Mark my words, before long the pair of you will be meeting up without the girls."

Draco glared at his father, but decided not to mention the coffee he'd shared with Hermione the previous week. Draco had been at the Ministry doing a spot of business when he'd happened to run into Hermione, who was heading on a break. Draco had ended up joining her in a nearby café and the pair had spent all of Hermione's break together, with neither of their children even popping up in conversation.

"As I said, it's not a date and it's not some sort of prelude to a date," Draco insisted. "We're merely friends."

"You just keep telling yourself that, Draco," Lucius chuckled.

"I think it's time for Mia's bath," Draco muttered as he stood up and swept his daughter up into his arms. "Come on princess, you can have two stories tonight."

Mia cheered excitedly as Draco left the room with his small daughter. Behind him his parents shared a chuckle and a knowing look.

"You really shouldn't tease him like that," Narcissa told her husband, once she knew Draco was no longer in earshot.

"Why not, everything I said was true," Lucius shrugged.

"I know, but I don't think he's ready for a new relationship," Narcissa replied.

"I'm not suggesting he rushes out and gets married again, I just think he needs to be thinking about moving on. I don't expect him to move on quickly, in fact considering both of their situations I would expect a slow moving relationship, but nothing will ever happen if he doesn't admit to himself that he likes her. I'm just giving him a prod in the right direction."

"And would you not have a problem if he did get involved with Hermione?" Narcissa asked. "You are aware she's a muggleborn."

"Yes, I'm aware of it," Lucius replied. "But I don't have a problem with it, not any more at least. I couldn't care less what sort of blood she has, as long as she makes Draco happy."

"And you think Hermione could do that?" Narcissa queried. Personally she thought Hermione and Zara could be just what Draco and Mia needed, but she was hesitant to push them together in case she'd read the situation wrong and made things awkward between the pair.

"She already has," Lucius said to his wife.

* * *

Hermione was wrangling an excited Zara into her jacket when Draco arrived with an equally excitable Mia on Sunday morning. While the two girls said their hellos, Hermione greeted Draco and filled him in on the plan for the day. She told him they would be flooing to a wizarding shop with a public floo network, before walking to the zoo which was about a ten minute walk.

After the adults knew what they were doing, they turned their attention to the girls. Gaining their attention, they made sure the two girls understood that they should always have hold of someone's hand.

"No wandering off," Hermione ordered the girls. "Do you understand?"

"Yes, mummy." Zara nodded.

"Yes, 'Mione," Mia added. Hermione was a bit of a mouthful for the three year old so Hermione had told her to use the shortened version that she let the Weasley children use.

"Don't you go wandering off either," Hermione told Draco. "I don't want to lose you in the muggle world."

"I'll be good," Draco promised with a grin. "Or do you want me to hold your hand like a good boy?"

Hermione blushed slightly and shook her head at Draco's teasing, but she couldn't stop a small smile gracing her lips. Draco chuckled lowly at Hermione's reaction as they checked the girls were ready and headed off for their day out.

After flooing to the shop Hermione mentioned, they set off to walk to the nearby zoo. Ten minutes later they arrived at the zoo entrance and joined the small queue that was forming. It took about five minutes to reach the front of the queue, and while Hermione was sorting the tickets Draco took the girls off to the side to wait for her. As he waited with the girls, Draco looked around warily as the place began to fill up with muggles.

"Are you okay?" Hermione asked, when she came over to where Draco was standing with the girls.

"Yeah," Draco nodded. "I'm just not used to being around so many muggles."

"As long as you don't do anything magical, you'll be fine," Hermione reassured him as they headed into the zoo.

Once inside the zoo, Hermione pulled out a map she'd bought with the entrance tickets. Studying the map, she told the girls about what animals there was to see. She was also planning the best way to make sure they saw everything and after a few minutes she had a solid plan in place.

"Right, we're going to take the little train down to the other side of the zoo and start there," Hermione began. "We can slowly make our way back up here and we shouldn't miss anything. There's also a sea lion show we can go and watch this afternoon."

"Sounds good to me," Draco replied.

"Okay then, let's go," Hermione grinned at the girls. "Are you going to hold my hand, Zara?" She asked her daughter.

"No." Zara shook her head and held up her small hand that was encased in Draco's larger one. "I'm holding Draco's hand."

Hermione shrugged at the brush-off she'd just received as the group began making their way towards the little train platform. Once at the platform they waited a few minutes, before a cute train pulled up. Draco and Hermione climbed into one of the little compartments and settled their respective daughters beside them. When the train started to slowly wind its way through the zoo, the two girls excitedly pointed out the animals they could see. By the time the train reached its destination both Zara and Mia had a list of animals they wanted to see. Luckily Hermione had everything sorted and she promised both girls they would see all the animals before they went home that evening.

With Hermione's schedule the morning ran smoothly. They moved from enclosure to enclosure, making sure the two girls got a good look at all the animals. Hermione had also brought her camera and took pictures galore, which she promised to give Draco a copy of. At lunchtime Hermione located a café near to the sea lion show and they settled down at one of the tables. While Hermione went off to get the food Draco sat with the girls, who couldn't stop talking about their day and what they'd seen.

"How are you enjoying your day?" Hermione asked Draco once she'd returned with the food and was settled at the table. The girls were digging into their meal opposite and for the first time that day they were being quiet.

"It's good," Draco replied with a smile. "Mia's having such a great time. Thank you for inviting us."

"It's no problem," Hermione replied. "Zara's loving having Mia here. I don't think we would have enjoyed the day as much if we'd been on our own."

"Maybe we should do this more often," Draco suggested. "It'll be nice for the girls to have a friend on their days out."

"I like that," Hermione said, smiling as she watched Mia and Zara giggling together across the table. "I'm sure there's all sorts of places for us to explore in both the wizarding and the muggle world."

"I'm sure there's loads of places we can go," Draco agreed.

Hermione nodded and the pair carried on making plans while they ate. By the end of the meal they'd decided to try and do something nearly every weekend, unless one of them had other plans. Once lunch was finished, Hermione took the girls off to the bathroom before they joined back up with Draco.

"Who's ready to go and see the sea lions?" Hermione asked the girls.

"We are," Mia and Zara shouted in unison.

Draco and Hermione chuckled at the girls as they each took hold of their daughter's hands. Mia and Zara also held hands and the four walked along looking like a little family. When they reached the sea lion arena, Draco told hold of Zara's hand while Hermione paid for them to enter. When they did enter the arena, it was filling up with people and Mia and Zara began dragging Draco towards the front row of seats.

"Not there," Hermione called. "Let's go further back."

Hermione led the way to the fourth row and settled the girls at the end of the row. She then checked no-one was watching before surreptitiously casting a few spells around them to ensure the seats in front of them remained clear. Draco watched her curiously, not sure why she'd moved them to somewhere she'd had to use magic to ensure the girls could see.

"Why didn't we just sit at the front?" he asked, as she settled down beside him. "The girls would have seen perfectly at the front."

"We also would have ended up soaking wet. You never ever sit at the front of these things, you'll just end up getting soaked," Hermione replied. Sure enough ten minutes into the show the first two rows of visitors had been soaked by the sea lions as they performed their tricks.

Mia and Zara loved the show and the two girls clapped and cheered throughout the whole thing. By the end of the show neither of them wanted to leave and Mia even wanted a sea lion as a pet. When they left the arena Mia was still asking about the sea lions, according to her there was lots of room at the manor for a sea lion.

"Good luck dealing with that one," Hermione laughed.

"I've actually got an idea," Draco grinned, spotting a gift shop with stuffed sea lions on display.

Ten minutes later both Mia and Zara were carrying a stuffed sea lion, solving the problem of Mia wanting one as a pet. The girls continued to carry their sea lions around for the rest of the afternoon, and only the promise of ice cream got them to let Hermione put them in her bag.

"While I go and get ice-cream, do you want to feed the swans?" Hermione asked. They'd arrived at a lake with swans and ducks swimming around and nearby was a stall selling breadcrumbs to throw to the birds.

"Yeah," Zara cheered, while Mia nodded her head enthusiastically.

Hermione quickly bought a bag of breadcrumbs and watched as Draco settled the girls down beside the lake. After checking no-one was watching he cast a few spells around them to prevent the girls falling into the lake and to stop the birds approaching them. Draco then settled himself in-between Mia and Zara and opened the bag of breadcrumbs.

"How about a competition?" he asked. "Let's see who can throw the breadcrumbs the furthest."

Taking a few breadcrumbs from the bag, Draco pitifully threw the crumbs so they barely reached the lake. Hermione smiled to herself as both Mia and Zara laughed at his efforts. Leaving the trio to enjoy themselves she went to get the ice-creams and when she returned the competition was in full swing. Both Mia and Zara's crumbs were flying into the lake, most likely with a bit of assistance from Draco's wand-less magic, while Draco's attempts were still pitiful.

"I think the girls are much better at feeding the swans than you," Hermione laughed as she handed Draco two large ice-creams.

"They are," Draco nodded. "Now let's give the champions their reward."

Hermione had bought mini-milks for Mia and Zara and once the lollies were open, both girls were happy to dive into the ice-cream treat. Once the girls were sorted, Draco handed Hermione back one of the ice-creams and they also sat back and enjoyed their afternoon treat.

"Time to visit the big cats," Hermione announced, once ice-creams were finished and Mia and Zara had been cleaned up. "Do you know what sound big cats make?" she asked the girls as they stood up.

"Roar!" Zara growled, baring her teeth at her mother.

Mia quickly joined in and all the way to the big cats the two girls roared and growled. When they approached the big cats they grew quiet as they watched the large animals prowl around their enclosures. Mia was particularly fond of the tigers, especially the two white ones, while Zara liked the leopards. By the time they'd walked around the corner of the zoo that housed the big cats both Mia and Zara were showing signs of flagging.

"I think it's time we were heading home," Hermione said, as she picked Zara up.

Agreeing, Draco picked Mia up and they began making their way to the exit. By the time they reached the shop to floo home Mia was fast asleep on Draco's shoulder and Zara was beginning to drift off. When they reached Hermione's house she placed her slumbering daughter on the sofa and told Draco to put Mia down beside her. Once Mia was also on the sofa the two girl's snuggled closer, not even bothering to wake up.

"So how much do I owe you for today?" Draco asked as he followed Hermione into the kitchen.

"I have no idea." Hermione shrugged as she made the coffee. "But how about we say this was my treat. If we're going to make this a regular thing, I can pay for the muggle stuff and you can pay for the wizarding stuff."

"Okay, but next week we're picking something wizarding to do," Draco replied. He had no problem with the arrangement, but he wanted to make sure that Hermione wasn't spending more money on him and Mia than he was on her and Zara, if they were doing this it had to be fair.

"No problem," Hermione grinned. "I can't wait to see what you come up with."

"Me?" Draco raised an eyebrow at Hermione as he sat down at the kitchen table. "Why do I have to pick?"

"I picked today's event," Hermione pointed out. "Besides, it's only fair that you get to pick in the wizarding world and I get to pick in the muggle world. You know nothing about the muggle world, whereas I don't know a lot about growing up in the wizarding world."

"True," Draco nodded. "I'm sure I'll think of something."

"I'm sure you can," Hermione smiled, placing two cups of coffee down on the table.

Draco stayed for a couple of cups of coffee, before it was time for him and Mia to go. Hermione sorted out their purchases and made sure Draco had everything they'd bought for Mia, she also promised to get him a copy of all the pictures she'd taken. Picking up a sleeping Mia, Draco made sure he had everything before saying goodbye to Hermione and flooing home. It had been a great day for everyone and both Hermione and Draco were already looking forward to their next day out together.


	5. Chapter 5

Day trips on a weekend soon become a regular habit for Draco, Hermione and their two daughters. The week after visiting the zoo, Draco took charge of the venue and took them to a wizarding circus. The day was the most magical experience Hermione had ever had, and both Mia and Zara loved being surrounded by so much magic. In the weeks that followed the foursome visited all sorts of places including an aquarium and a wizarding animal reserve. A few days they opted for something more sedate and they settled for taking Mia and Zara to parks, both wizarding and muggle, with a picnic.

Heading towards the end of the summer, Draco suggested a trip to the beach. After talking it through Draco and Hermione settled on visiting a wizarding seaside town. As usual the foursome set off from Hermione's house and flooed to a public floo in the town they were visiting.

When they first arrived it was a bit chilly for the beach, so they began by wandering around the shops. After a morning of looking in the shops they had fish and chips, before heading down to the beach for the afternoon. By this time the sun was shining brightly and it was perfect weather for lounging around on the beach. However, Mia and Zara had other plans, and they didn't include relaxing sedately.

"We want to build sandcastles," Mia announced, once everyone was settled down on the large beach towels Hermione had brought with them.

"But we haven't got anything to build them with," Hermione pointed out. "You can't build sandcastles with your hands."

"I think we passed a shop selling buckets and spades just before we came onto the beach," Draco said. "The girls and I will go and grab the supplies, you stay here."

Gathering Mia and Zara, Draco headed off with the two girls to buy buckets and spades. Ten minutes later they returned, with both girls swinging a bucket and carrying a spade.

"Got them," Zara called to her mother as they arrived back where Hermione was sitting.

When the girls sat down, Draco sat down with them and told them to tip their buckets upside down. Hermione watched in amazement as dozens more buckets of all shapes and sizes tumbled from the two the girls had been carrying.

"What's with all the buckets?" Hermione asked Draco as the girls began to sort them.

"They're all different sizes and all have different shaped bottoms. We're going to build the best sandcastle ever," Draco told Hermione.

"Good luck with that," Hermione chuckled as she settled back to watch Draco and the girls get to work.

While Draco levelled off a patch of sand to build on the girls began filling the buckets with sand, using their spades. When the first buckets were ready to be tipped, Mia and Zara directed Draco where they wanted it. When Draco placed the bucket and got his wand out to ensure the sand didn't collapse, Mia shook her head at her father.

"No magic," she insisted.

"But it's going to be really hard without magic," Draco argued.

"No magic," Mia repeated.

Draco looked down at his wand thoughtfully, but before he could work out a way of using it without the girls seeing him he found the piece of wood being taken from his hands. Looking up he found Zara had his wand in her hand and was toddling over to Hermione, where she gave her mother the wand.

"Keep that," Zara said sternly. "No magic."

Hermione looked at Draco, unsure how he would feel about having his wand stolen by a three year old. Draco looked fairly stunned, but he shrugged it off and agreed they could make the sandcastle without magic.

However making the elaborate sandcastle he'd promised without magic proved difficult. The sand was soft, so more often than not it just crumbled when Draco lifted up the bucket. Eventually he started to use wandless magic to keep the sand upright when he removed the buckets. The end result wasn't the neatest castle in the world, but it was pretty good for two three year olds and a wizard using limited magic.

"What do you think?" Draco asked Hermione.

"I think it's nearly perfect," Hermione said, walking the short distance to the sandcastle. "All it needs is a moat." Shooting Draco a wicked smirk she drew a deep trench around the castle. "Now it just needs water."

"Give me my wand and I'll fill it with water." Draco said, holding his hand out for his wand.

"I don't think so," Hermione grinned. "This sandcastle is being made with no magic. You'll have to do it by hand."

"But…" Draco began to protest when Hermione handed him one of the smallest buckets.

"No magic," Mia and Zara called together.

"Fine," Draco sighed. "I'll just go and get the water."

Quickly swapping the bucket Hermione had given him for one of the larger ones, Draco made his way down to the sea to grab the water. When he returned, they began the process of filling the moat. Considering one bucket filled the entire moat, which was rather large and pretty deep, Hermione suspected Draco was once again using wandless magic. The girls were none the wiser however and were thrilled that their castle now had a moat.

"You two princesses play with your castle, I'm having a rest," Draco announced as he flopped back onto the towel. "Who knew building sandcastles could be so tiring," he commented when Hermione sat down next to him.

"Maybe next time you should buy the buckets that ensure the sand moulds perfectly," Hermione chuckled as she handed Draco back his confiscated wand.

"I thought I would have my wand for that," Draco argued. "Not once did they mention they wanted to build the castle without magic."

"It wasn't entirely without magic though, was it?" Hermione said quietly so the girls wouldn't hear. "You were using wandless magic to keep the castle upright and you enchanted the bucket that carried back the water."

"Keep your voice down," Draco hissed, checking to make sure that Mia and Zara hadn't heard Hermione's accusations. "If they hear you they might make me start again."

Hermione had to laugh at Draco's obvious dismay at the thought of starting again from scratch. He'd just spent a good hour building the castle and starting again wasn't appealing in the slightest, no matter how much he liked to indulge both Mia and Zara and give them whatever they wanted. Luckily the girls were happy with their castle and spent the rest of the afternoon happily playing on the beach.

When they returned to Hermione's, Mia and Zara settled down on the sofa and within minutes they were both fast asleep. As usual Draco and Hermione settled in the kitchen, where they talked quietly so they didn't wake the girls. For a while they just discussed their day and a few future plans they had, but Draco soon brought up a subject that had been floating around his head all week.

"I've got some tickets for a new play that's opening next Friday," He said hesitantly. "I was wondering if you would like to join me."

"As a date?" Hermione questioned, with a small smile.

"I was hoping so," Draco admitted. "But if you don't want to, we can just go as friends. I don't want to pressure you, and I don't want to ruin our friendship."

"Draco, stop babbling," Hermione chuckled. "I would love to go with you."

"As a date?" He asked hopefully.

"Yes, as a date," Hermione smiled.

Draco grinned back at Hermione as they slowly returned to talking like they normally did. Things were a bit different between them however and they kept sneaking looks at each other and sharing smiles. Before Draco left with Mia, he arranged a time to pick Hermione up on Friday evening.

* * *

"I knew it," Ginny squealed loudly. Ginny and Hermione were sitting in a café in Diagon Alley, during Hermione's lunch break, and Hermione had just told Ginny about her upcoming date with Draco.

"You might have been slightly right," Hermione admitted begrudgingly.

"No might about it, I was definitely right," Ginny snorted. "I knew there were sparks flying between you both."

"Okay, so you were right," Hermione conceded. "But that doesn't mean things will progress further than one date. We might spend an evening together without the girls and realise we don't like each other that much."

"That's never going to happen," Ginny retorted. "Even with the girls around, you would already know if you don't like each other."

"Fine, we do like each other. But I'm not going to rush into anything, Ginny," Hermione said. "I've got Zara to consider, and Draco's got Mia. It's not just about us two, we've got two other people to consider in everything."

"No-one's saying you have to marry him," Ginny said. "But at least promise me you'll give him a chance."

"I'm giving him a chance," Hermione replied. "I'm just being cautious."

"I understand that," Ginny nodded. "But you are still having your first date in over a year, have you thought about what you're going to wear?"

"Ginny, it's Monday. The date isn't until Friday," Hermione pointed out.

"So? You need to get cracking," Ginny tutted. "How about I come round tomorrow night and we can sort through your wardrobe. You have to look stunning."

Hermione knew there was no point arguing with Ginny so she agreed to allow the younger witch to help her pick out her outfit for Friday. In all honesty Hermione appreciated the offer of help, while she was more fashion conscious than when she was younger she still wasn't great with clothes. Most of them time when she wasn't working she dressed casually with a toddler to look after, and it had been a long time since she'd dressed up for anything, let alone a hot date with a gorgeous wizard.

* * *

Draco nervously double checked his reflection before heading downstairs. It was nearly time for him to go and pick Hermione up for their date and with each passing hour he was becoming more and more nervous. He really liked Hermione and wanted the evening to be perfect.

When he arrived in the front room he found Narcissa sitting on the sofa, while Mia was curled up on Lucius's knee. Draco had already given his daughter her bath and got her into her pyjamas, but he'd allowed her to have a treat and had given her permission to stay up with her grandparents for a little bit.

"You look nice," Narcissa smiled as Draco entered the room.

"Thanks," Draco smiled back at his mother.

"Don't look so nervous," Lucius chuckled. "It's only a date."

"But what if I mess everything up?" Draco asked. "Maybe this is a bad idea. We should just keep things the way they are."

"Stop being so negative," Narcissa told her son. "Go and have fun. Enjoy yourself for once."

Draco nodded, deciding his mother was right and he should go and have a good time. Even if things didn't work out with Hermione they would still be friends, so it wasn't as if he was going to lose her from his life. After saying goodnight to Mia and saying goodbye to his parents, Draco grabbed his jacket and apparated to Hermione's.

Outside of Hermione's he steadied his nerves, before knocking on the door. When Hermione opened the door she was wearing a long emerald dress with black heels. Her hair was gathered loosely at the nape of her neck with an emerald pin, and she was wearing light make-up. Draco gazed at the sight for several minutes, totally taken aback by how stunning she looked.

"Is it too much?" Hermione asked nervously when Draco just looked at her. Ginny had picked the outfit despite Hermione's protestations it was too fancy.

"No, it's perfect," Draco replied as he found his voice. "You look gorgeous."

"Thanks." Hermione blushed and dipped her head at Draco's compliment. "I'll just grab my jacket and we can go."

Draco briefly stepped into the hallway while Hermione went to retrieve her jacket and bag. The whole house was in darkness so Draco was guessing Zara was staying elsewhere. When he asked Hermione about her, she confirmed her daughter was staying with her parents for the night. Hermione hadn't wanted to risk Zara seeing Draco and asking about Mia, they had both agreed that until they were sure there was something to tell they wouldn't tell the girls about the change in their relationship.

"I thought we could go for a drink first," Draco said as they left Hermione's house. "Then after the play, I thought we could grab something to eat."

"Sounds great," Hermione smiled.

Taking hold of Hermione's arm, Draco apparated them to a small wine bar near to the theatre they were due to visit. While Hermione grabbed a table in the corner, Draco got the drinks in.

"This place is nice," Hermione commented when Draco returned to the table. "Do you come here often?"

"I haven't been here for a while," Draco admitted. "I haven't actually been out in months."

"Is that since Astoria left?" Hermione asked.

"It probably goes back longer to be honest," Draco admitted. "I occasionally used to go out with Blaise and Pansy, but I didn't like leaving Mia with my parents too often."

"Did you and Astoria never go out?" Hermione questioned, noticing he'd said that he used to go out, not him and Astoria.

"Rarely," Draco said. "Things weren't great between us. If it hadn't been for Mia we would have split a long time ago. Anyway, enough about my failed marriage. How about you, do you get out a lot?"

"No. I would rather spend my time with Zara," Hermione replied. "These days if I do go out it's with Harry and Ginny."

"Have you not dated since having Zara?" Draco asked.

"I had a few dates, but nothing serious," Hermione replied. "Most guys don't want to know once I've told them about Zara. Taking on a child isn't something most men are interested in, mind you I've never found anyone I was interested in either."

"So you've never introduced Zara to a man before?"

"Nope. I won't be doing that unless I'm confident he's sticking around," Hermione said. "Now all this talk of our disastrous love lives is depressing, tell me about this play we're going to see. Is it any good?"

"According to Pansy," Draco answered. "She and Blaise attended the big glitzy première a couple of weeks ago, tonight is the first night open to the general public."

"How did Pansy and Blaise get to go to the big première?" Hermione asked. "I thought with all your money and family influence you could have swung tickets for that instead of having to wait around with the common people."

"Funny." Draco rolled his eyes at Hermione's teasing. "Pansy got the tickets because her cousin is in the industry and is involved in the play somehow. Don't ask me in what capacity though, she did mention it, but I forgot."

"That's terrible," Hermione laughed. "You could at least remember what your best friend's cousin does."

"She has thousands of cousins, or at least that's the way it seems," Draco defended himself. "She's always got cousins in this industry and that industry, it's hard to keep check of them all. I don't even know if sometimes it's the same cousins just getting about a bit."

"Maybe you would know if you paid a bit more attention," Hermione teased. Draco had already confided in her that Pansy loved to chatter on and most of the time he just tuned her out.

Draco rolled his eyes at Hermione as the conversation continued to flow and the banter easily exchanged. After a while, Draco announced it was time to head for the play. The pair walked the short distance to the theatre, laughing and chatting happily the entire time. They only stopped talking once they were in the theatre and the play began.

The play turned out to be a heart-breaking drama and was every bit as good as Pansy had said. By the end Hermione had shed a few tears and Draco reluctantly admitted the storyline had moved him slightly.

"Do you still want to go and get something to eat?" Draco asked as they left the theatre.

"Yes," Hermione nodded. "I'm pretty hungry."

Draco once again took hold of Hermione's arm and this time he apparated them to an intimate French restaurant. The second they entered the place, Hermione knew Draco was a regular visitor. The staff all greeted him with a smile and they were shown to one of the best tables beside the window.

"Now you must come here often," Hermione remarked. "All the staff know you."

"I've been coming here since I was little," Draco said. "This is my parent's favourite restaurant. The owner is one of my mother's friends, and now her son runs the place. I actually haven't been here for over a year."

"Well this place looks great," Hermione said as she scanned the menu. "I just hope the food is as good as it sounds."

"It's better," Draco promised. "You won't find better French food this side of The Channel."

"You're getting my hopes up," Hermione chuckled. "This is going to have to be amazing now you've built it up so much."

"It won't disappoint," Draco replied.

Draco was right and the food didn't disappoint. It was every bit as gorgeous as he'd described and Hermione enjoyed every mouthful. She even finished her entire dessert, and she really wasn't a sweet person.

"That was possibly the nicest meal I've ever had," Hermione said once they'd finished.

"We'll have to come back one time," Draco suggested.

"Are you asking me on a second date?" Hermione asked with a smile.

"Give me time, the first one isn't even over yet," Draco retorted. "I was actually thinking we could bring the girls one time. They do a brilliant kids menu during the day, and there's a beautiful park a few minutes away. In fact I was thinking we could have a walk in the park before we headed home."

"I'd like that," Hermione smiled.

After leaving the restaurant, which Draco paid for despite Hermione's protestations they could split the bill, the couple headed towards the park. The park was illuminated with magical fireflies and it was quite possibly the most romantic place Hermione had ever visited.

As they entered the park, Draco told hold of Hermione's hand and they strolled happily through the lit park. On their walk they spotted a playground for children and an enchanted pond where you could fish. Once you'd caught the fish they would magically jump back into the water and no harm would come to them. There was also a large lake where you could take a ride on a swan boat, only unlike the muggle versions these ones travelled round the lake without you ever having to do anything.

"We're definitely going to bring the girls here." Hermione remarked. "They'll love it."

"They will," Draco agreed. "I don't know why I never thought of it sooner."

"You've remembered now, and we have our next weekend sorted," Hermione said.

As the walk continued the pair found themselves crossing a bridge over the lake and ending up on a small island in the centre of the large body of water. A gazebo stood in the middle of the island and Draco and Hermione settled down on the small seat inside.

"I've really enjoyed tonight," Hermione said, turning to Draco.

"So have I," Draco replied. "Do you want to do it again sometime?"

"So now you're asking me on a second date," Hermione grinned. "I would love to."

"Great." Draco smiled back at Hermione, before slowly leaning in and closing the small gap between them.

Gently Draco's lips landed on Hermione's as his hand came up to cup her cheek. As their lips began to move together, Hermione put her hand on Draco's shoulder and pulled him closer. After a minute Draco deepened the kiss as they moved even closer to one another. Eventually they had to separate, but they both did so with massive smiles on their faces.

After a few more minutes sitting in the gazebo, they began their slow walk back through the park. Draco then apparated them back to Hermione's house where they shared a second kiss as they said goodnight. Reluctantly Hermione eventually headed inside, while Draco went home to the manor. Despite not arranging the details for their next date they were both looking forward to it, and hopefully many more to follow.


	6. Chapter 6

Hermione and Draco continued to date, but they moved things along very slowly. They were also extremely cautious around the girls. Their regular days out and play-dates continued, but they were very careful not to act any different in front of Mia and Zara. Privately both Hermione and Draco were confident that they had something special between them, but they needed to be one hundred percent certain before telling their daughters. Their friends and family also knew about the blossoming romantic relationship, but they were also careful not to mention it around the girls.

After about six weeks of dating Draco asked Hermione and Zara over to the manor to meet his parents, more so Lucius considering Hermione already knew and was friendly with Narcissa. Hermione was receptive to the idea and agreed on the condition him and Mia spent the following afternoon at The Burrow. Draco happily agreed and arrangements were made for a weekend nearing the end of September.

On the day in question Draco was waiting anxiously in the floo room for Hermione and Zara to arrive. His parents were in the front room with an excited Mia. Mia had been to Zara's house on plenty of occasions but this was the first time her friend had visited her home and she was eager to show Zara her things and what she did at home. Mia had already decided she wanted to play in the garden and swim, so Draco had checked Zara could swim and told Hermione to bring her swimming things.

When the floo lit up, Draco smiled and stepped forward to greet Hermione and Zara. While Hermione was brushing soot off her clothes, Draco scooped Zara into his arms and said hello to the little girl. Zara happily gave Draco a hug, before asking for Mia.

"She's in the front room," Draco told Zara as he put her down and she ran to grab hold of Hermione's hand. "Are you ready?" he asked Hermione.

"As I'll ever be," Hermione answered, a slight waver in her voice.

"Don't worry, father will be fine," Draco reassured Hermione with a slight smile. "He's a changed man from the one you met in school."

"I know," Hermione nodded. She knew Lucius wasn't anything like the cold, hateful wizard she'd ran into just before starting her second year, but she was still wary about spending the whole day with him.

"Come on," Draco said, leading the way out of the floo room.

Hermione and Zara followed Draco across the large hallway, each of them looking around in awe. When they entered the front room Hermione was pleased to see that it was very welcoming and cosy, despite the enormous size. The second they entered the room Zara detached herself from Hermione and flew across the room to where Mia was sitting on the floor.

"Hermione, it's good to see you," Narcissa beamed, giving Hermione a hug. "I feel like I haven't seen you for ages."

"I don't think you have, not since Draco hijacked the play-dates," Hermione smiled.

"I'm sure that's not something you have a problem with," Narcissa remarked.

"No, it's not," Hermione chuckled. "But I have missed you and our chats."

"We'll have to arrange to meet up sometime," Narcissa said. "We can't have Draco commandeering all your attention."

"I'm sure you can arrange something later on," Draco said to the two witches. "But for now, let's get on with the introductions. Hermione, this is my father, Lucius. Father, this is Hermione."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Miss Granger," Lucius said politely as he held out his hand for the brunette to take.

Hermione smiled and returned the sentiment as she took hold of Lucius's hand and shook it. To be honest she was rather taken aback by Lucius's appearance, she was expecting a serious looking man in dark robes, but instead he looked like an older version of a casual Draco. Instead of the robes she was expecting Lucius was dressed in a pair of dark trousers and a grey shirt, looking anything but the intimidating man she'd met as a twelve year old.

"Can we go and play outside?" Mia asked, approaching the adults.

"Of course." Lucius smiled indulgently at his granddaughter. "But why don't you introduce me to your friend first."

"Okay."

Mia grabbed hold of Lucius's hand and took him the small distance to where Zara was standing. Hermione watched in amazement as Lucius knelt down in front of Zara and said hello to her daughter. He was speaking too quietly for Hermione to make out everything he was saying, but Zara seemed happy enough with him.

"Come on Grandpa Lu," Mia called, tugging at Lucius's arm. "We want to play outside."

Hermione was rather surprised by Mia's name for her grandfather. She already knew the little girl called Narcissa, Nana Cissa, but she'd expected something a bit more formal for Lucius. Hermione was even more surprised when Lucius stood up and not only took hold of Mia's hand, but Zara's as well.

"Come on, let's go and play," Lucius said, leading the way out of the room. "We need to work up an appetite for lunch."

"Isn't it a bit cold to be going into the garden?" Hermione asked as they followed Lucius and the girls through the manor and towards the back door.

"The entire garden has a permanent heating charm over it," Narcissa explained. "I hate being stuck indoors, so this way I can enjoy my garden all year round."

The second they stepped into the garden Hermione could feel the effect of the heating charm, the chill in the air was gone and it felt like a lovely summer day. The manor's gardens were enormous, with a combination of lush green grass and fertile soil filled with exotic looking plants. Lucius and the girls however were heading towards the bottom of the garden, where Hermione spotted a whole section was a tailor made playground. There were swings, a slide, a mini roundabout and even a little sand pit. There was also a couple of benches for the adults to sit and watch.

When the girls entered the playground they let go of Lucius and rushed off towards the roundabout. Lucius was just about to settle on one of the benches, when Mia called to him.

"Grandpa Lu. Grandpa Lu, come and push."

"You just can't get a minutes peace around here," Lucius grumbled, although the smile on his face indicated he didn't mind playing with the girls.

"You love it," Narcissa laughed. "Now go and play with the girls."

"The whole place is equipped with safety charms to prevent the girls from injuring themselves," Draco told Hermione as they settled down on one of the benches. Narcissa had followed Lucius and was helping him push the roundabout. "There's also cushioning charms on the ground, just in case they fall over."

"Wow, you really thought of everything," Hermione said, watching the girls. She was still in shock witnessing how easy Lucius interacted with Mia, and how he'd just accepted Zara.

"That would be father," Draco admitted. "He had the idea for the playground and he was the one to add all the safety features. He was also the one to have the kiddie pool built in the pool room so he could teach Mia how to swim."

"I've got to admit, he wasn't what I was expecting," Hermione confided. "I was expecting him to be more standoffish and formal."

"That's exactly what he was like. When I was growing up, he wouldn't have dreamed of playing with me in the garden like this. The most we ever did together was him teaching me how to fly," Draco said.

"What changed?" Hermione asked curiously.

"Me," Draco answered. "When I started school and began questioning what he'd taught me, it made him think about things differently. All the questions I used to ask him about muggleborns and why they weren't as good as us, got him thinking. In the end he realised that he couldn't answer my questions, he couldn't explain why the smartest witch in our year was a muggleborn."

"How does his changed opinions about muggleborns, affect how he treats Mia?" Hermione questioned.

"He also realised that he hadn't been the best father in the world. When I was growing up he was always so distant and it wasn't until I was older that we really developed a relationship. When Mia was born he vowed to be a better grandfather than he was father, and this is the result," Draco explained, gesturing to his father who was now pushing the girls on the swings.

"He is brilliant with Mia," Hermione said. "And he's been great with Zara."

"He's not that bad really," Draco smiled as he watched his father and daughter. Even though he'd never experienced any of the same things with Lucius when he was younger, they had a great relationship these days and Draco loved his father.

For the next hour Hermione and Draco chatted happily as they watched their girls play. Narcissa had disappeared indoors not long ago and when she reappeared she announced lunch was ready. Grabbing the girls, everyone headed over to another part of the garden where Narcissa had laid on a small picnic. While Mia and Zara happily chased each other around the lawn, the four adults sat at the picnic table. Hermione was pleasantly surprised to find Lucius was just as nice to her as he had been to Zara, and he seemed genuinely interested in what she had to say.

"Grandpa Lu?" Mia interrupted the conversation when she came over and nudged her grandfather in the side. "Can we fly?"

"Of course," Lucius nodded. "I'll get the broom." Whipping out his wand, Lucius summoned a little training broom. "Can Zara fly?" he asked Hermione.

"No," Hermione replied. "I hate flying and to be honest I haven't let any else teach her. Harry's being begging me to let her fly, but I'm not keen."

"I don't want to do anything you don't want me to, but I could begin to teach her," Lucius suggested. "This is the best training broom in the world. It only flies a few metres from the ground, it has a built in safety guard to stop children falling and can be controlled by an adult's wand. I understand if it's not something you want to do, it's just an offer."

Hermione nervously bit her bottom lip as she contemplated the idea. She didn't like the idea of Zara on a broom but her three year old was looking longingly at the broom as Mia clambered atop of it. Chances were when Mia was flying Zara would want a turn and would get upset if she wasn't allowed.

"Okay," Hermione said eventually. "You can try her, but if she doesn't like it, that's it."

"Of course," Lucius said. "We'll take things nice and slow."

"Don't worry, he's a great teacher," Draco reassured Hermione as his father turned his attention to the girls. "He taught me and Mia, and we're both pretty good."

Hermione nodded, but watched nervously as Zara settled down on the grass to watch Mia fly. The little blonde girl was quickly zooming around and her squeals of delight even brought a smile to Hermione's face. There was no doubting that Mia loved to fly, and she looked perfectly safe just a few metres from the ground.

"Okay, Miss Zara it's your turn," Lucius called.

Hermione smiled at the little nickname as her daughter jumped up and ran over to Lucius. Hermione watched apprehensively as Lucius helped Zara onto the broom and ensured she held on tight. He issued a few more instructions and told her to shout if she didn't like it, before raising the broom in the air.

"I don't think I can look," Hermione muttered, shutting her eyes.

"You should, she's a natural," Draco remarked.

Hermione peeked open one eye, just enough to see her daughter floating slowly around the garden. Her speed was much slower than Mia's, but she was still grinning widely and giggling happily.

"Mummy, mummy, look at me," she called, forcing Hermione to open her eyes and watch her daughter properly.

"Brilliant, Zara," Hermione smiled. She was still nervous about the whole thing, but she knew her daughter was in safe hands with Lucius.

"We have a star in the making," Lucius announced as he lifted Zara off the broom. "Miss Zara, will be whizzing around in no time."

"Merlin help me," Hermione grumbled as Zara whooped and cheered with Mia. "We've created a flying monster."

"She's welcome to come and have lessons any time she wants," Lucius offered. "Something tells me you and Zara will be regular visitors to the manor, or at least I hope you will."

"I'm sure we'll be back," Hermione said with a smile.

"Good," Lucius smiled at Hermione, before turning back to the girls. "Who's ready to go swimming?"

"Me, me, me," Zara and Mia cheered together.

Gathering the girls again, Draco took them to the pool room. The large Olympic style pool was covered over with a magical protection spell to ensure the girls didn't fall in, while off to the side was a smaller kid friendly pool. Draco showed Hermione into one of the small changing rooms off to the side and she took Zara in to get changed, while he took Mia into the one next to it and changed her. When they emerged the two girls were wearing their swimming costumes and they both had their armbands on. While the two girls could both swim Hermione and Draco suspected they were heading into the pool to play, rather than to swim.

Beside the pool was a selection of inflatable toys and Draco and Hermione helped the girls pick a few. By the time the toys were blown up and in the pool, Lucius had entered the pool room, wearing his swimming trunks. Lucius then got in the pool with the girls and played about with them while Hermione and Draco sat watching from a safe distance. Already the floor surrounding the pool was soaking as the two girls and Lucius splashed around merrily.

"Did you not want to get in?" Draco asked Hermione. "I was looking forward to seeing you in your swimming costume, especially if it's a bikini."

"Maybe next time," Hermione teased. "If you're a very good boy."

"I'll hold you to that," Draco remarked. "I definitely want to see you in a bikini."

"I'm sure you will," Hermione grinned. "Maybe if you're really lucky, you'll see me in a lot less as well."

Draco's eyes widened at the implication behind Hermione's words and he suddenly found himself picturing a naked Hermione. Deciding it wasn't the best time and place to be having sexual thoughts, Draco shook his head to dispel them and turned his attention to the pool.

"Tease," he muttered.

Hermione laughed lightly as she also turned her attention towards the pool where Mia and Zara were happily playing with Lucius. Who knew an afternoon at Malfoy Manor would turn out to be such a fun, light-hearted experience. And it was one that Hermione was eager to repeat, and hopeful that they would.

* * *

Hermione arrived at The Burrow about half an hour before Draco was due to arrive with Mia. Almost everyone was out in the garden, which Molly had covered with a warming charm to combat the autumn weather. Ginny however was in the kitchen and almost immediately she bombarded Hermione with questions about the previous day. Hermione could tell her friend also wanted to ask about her growing romance with Draco, but with Zara around she refrained from doing so.

"Hey, Hermione," Harry grinned as he entered the kitchen. "Hi, Zara. Have you missed me?"

"Nope," Zara giggled as Harry picked her up and swung her around.

"No." Harry feigned outrage to the little girl. "That's shocking, I've missed you. So what did you do yesterday?"

"Fly," Zara grinned.

"You flew?" Harry questioned in surprise, before turning to Hermione. "You let Malfoy teach her how to fly?"

"No, it wasn't Draco," Hermione replied.

"Then who?" Ginny asked.

"Mia's Grandpa Lu made me fly," Zara said. "I was a star."

"Grandpa Lu?" Harry muttered in disbelief. "Lucius, seriously?"

"Yes, he was great," Hermione said. "He played with the girls all day and he was brilliant with Zara on the broom."

"So do this mean I can buy her a broom?" Harry grinned wickedly. He'd been wanting to teach his god-daughter how to fly for ages, but Hermione was adamant that Zara wasn't getting on a broom.

"No," Hermione said. "At least not yet. If she has a few more lessons and is still enjoying it, I might think about it. Only might, mind you."

"Might's better than no way," Harry shrugged, taking what he could get. "I'll hold onto might and hope you visit the manor some more."

"That's a very real possibility," Hermione smiled.

"Harry, why don't you take Zara into the garden?" Ginny suggested. She wanted to talk more about Hermione's new romance, but knew that it was off limits around the three year old.

"Come on Zara, let's go," Harry said as he turned towards the door. "You can tell me all about flying."

Hermione saw her daughter's enthusiastic nod, but she didn't hear what she said as the pair disappeared into the back garden.

"So, you'll be going back to the manor, will you?" Ginny asked with a grin.

"Probably," Hermione replied. "It is where Draco and Mia live."

"Will you be going for day visits or sleepovers?" Ginny teased.

"Is that your subtle way of asking if we've slept together?" Hermione asked.

"Maybe," Ginny shrugged. "So, have you slept with him?"

"No," Hermione answered.

"What? Why not?" Ginny asked. "He's gorgeous. If I wasn't happily married, I'd eagerly hop into bed with Malfoy."

"We're taking things slow," Hermione explained. "I've already told you, we've got the girls to consider."

"You've got the girls to consider when it comes to your general relationship, not the sex part. That is entirely about the two of you, and the girls don't enter into the equation," Ginny pointed out.

"We're still taking it slow," Hermione replied. "We'll sleep together when we're ready."

"And when will that be?" Ginny questioned. "You've been together for six weeks, and I know for a fact you haven't had sex for months, possibly over a year."

Hermione was just about to question how Ginny knew so much about her sex life, or lack of it, when she heard the floo network activate in the front room. Hurrying into the front room she entered the room in time to see Draco step out of the flames with Mia in his arms.

"Hi," Hermione smiled at Draco as she pulled his daughter into her arms and gave her a hug. "Hello Mia."

"Hello 'Mione," Mia replied, snuggling closer to Hermione.

"Do you want to go outside and see Zara?" Hermione asked.

Mia nodded and Hermione carried her outside, with Draco following them. When they got outside, Hermione paused and allowed Mia to look around the new place she was visiting. She'd felt the little girl tense in her arms and knew it was all the people that made her nervous.

"Look there's Zara over there, should we go and say hello?" Hermione asked, pointing towards where her daughter was sitting with Fred and Alicia. "Fred and Alicia's also just had a baby, do you want to meet her?"

"Yes," Mia whispered quietly.

Mia clung tightly onto Hermione as she walked across the garden and stopped in front of Fred and Alicia. Draco went with them and greeted Zara as Fred and Alicia said hello to Mia. Fred and Alicia then welcomed Draco, who congratulated them on their new baby, as Zara waved at her best friend.

"Is it okay if Mia meets the baby?" Hermione asked Alicia as she sat down next to her.

"Of course," Alicia smiled. Reaching into the pram beside her, she carefully lifted her six week old daughter out of the pram. "This is Jade."

Mia leaned over and carefully stroked her little finger over the baby's head. "She's pretty."

"Thank you," Fred grinned. "That's quite a compliment coming from a pretty little girl like you."

Mia giggled as she slid of Hermione's knee and went to join Zara playing beside Fred. Fred entertained the girls while Draco settled down next to Hermione and the pair talked to Alicia a bit more. After a few minutes George put in an appearance and after exchanging friendly greetings with Draco, he sat down with Fred and helped his brother keep the girls entertained.

As the afternoon wore on, more people arrived and more people made their way over to see the new baby and to say hello to Hermione and Draco. As the crowds grew Draco kept an eye on his daughter, but she was perfectly happy with Zara and didn't seem to mind the growing crowds. Draco however was feeling slightly uncomfortable with so many people around and after making sure Mia knew he would be back, he headed into the house in search of the bathroom. When he emerged, he was shocked to find Hermione leaning up against the wall outside the bathroom.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"You've just been a bit quiet," Hermione answered.

"Sorry, I'm just not used to so many people being around," Draco said. "At least I'm not used to being around so many people I want to make a good impression on."

"Why do you want to make a good impression on everyone?" Hermione asked. "I always thought you were the type of person who didn't care what others thought about you."

"Normally I am, but this is different. Everyone here is important to you, they're practically your family, so I want them to like me," Draco explained, stepping forward so he was standing directly in front of Hermione.

"They do like you," Hermione reassured Draco as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her. "But even if they didn't, I like you. Surely that's more important."

"It is," Draco said, wrapping his arms around Hermione's waist.

"So are you going to stop worrying?" Hermione asked.

"I wasn't worrying, I was just a bit anxious," Draco protested. "Meeting everyone this time is different to the first time."

"How so?" Hermione questioned.

"Well last time I was just Mia's dad. I was at Zara's birthday because my daughter was friends with your daughter, but now things are different. Everyone knows we're involved and I'm now being judged as a boyfriend."

"If it's any help, the judging is going favourably," Hermione said. "Everyone thinks we're really good together."

"Even Potter?" Draco asked sceptically. As polite as Harry had been to him, Draco still wasn't convinced he approved of him getting involved with Hermione.

"Even Harry," Hermione confirmed. "He just wants me to be happy, and you make me happy."

"The feeling's mutual," Draco smiled. "You make me happy."

Hermione returned the smile as their heads moved closer and their lips softly connected. The kiss was only brief as they were both aware that they could be disturbed at any time. While most people finding them wouldn't be an issue, they didn't want to risk either Zara or Mia being with them.

"I guess we should be heading back outside," Draco said reluctantly. "If we stay in here much longer people will come looking for us. Not to mention the twins will be alluding to all sorts, their whole conversation is littered with double meanings as it is."

"Tell me about it, Ginny's the same," Hermione chuckled. "Although when we're alone she's more direct and just asks all-sorts. You should have heard her before you arrived, it was ridiculous."

"What was she asking before I arrived?" Draco asked.

"She was asking if we'd slept together," Hermione admitted shyly. "She was rather shocked when I said we hadn't."

"Does it bother you that we haven't slept together yet?" Draco questioned, wondering if Hermione was trying to hint at something. While they'd indulged in a few heated kissing sessions they hadn't gotten anywhere near actual intercourse.

"No," Hermione replied. "Unless you're not planning on taking things further, and in that case I would be worried about what was wrong with me."

"You have no idea how much I want you in my bed," Draco said in a low voice as he stared into Hermione's eyes. "But I want it to be special. I don't want to rush into anything and ruin what we have."

"Neither do I," Hermione agreed. "And just for the record, I want you just as much."

"Good," Draco smiled, before pressing his lips firmly against Hermione's. Unlike their previous kiss, this one was very heated and left them both out of breath when they reluctantly parted.

"We really should get going," Hermione sighed as they regained their breath.

"We should, but first, how would you feel about going away for the weekend? Just the two of us," Draco asked. "I could get my parents to look after Mia. It might be nice to spend some time alone."

"Zara could go to my parents, or I'm sure Molly would love to have her," Hermione said. "Where did you have in mind?"

"Somewhere with a big bed, where I can make you feel special," Draco replied.

"I like the sound of that," Hermione grinned. "We'll have to arrange something soon."

"Yes, we will," Draco agreed.

After sharing another quick kiss the pair turned and headed back downstairs and out into the garden. Neither Mia or Zara seemed to have missed their parents, they were too busy telling stories to the younger children. However the adults hadn't missed their disappearance and the couple received several knowing looks and remarks from certain people. Neither Draco nor Hermione were bothered though, they just enjoyed the rest of the day and began to look forward to when they could manage a weekend away, just the two of them.


	7. Chapter 7

It took almost four weeks for Draco and Hermione to arrange their weekend away. The first couple of weekends they'd already made plans, but then they had to arrange childcare for Mia and Zara and decide where to go. Draco was obviously leaving Mia with Lucius and Narcissa, and Hermione decided the best place for Zara was with her parents. She'd never left Zara for more than one night so she settled for asking her parents to have her.

Unfortunately leaving Zara with Hermione's parents posed a bit of a problem for the arrangements. Draco had originally planned on taking Hermione to one of the Malfoy villas, and he'd offered to connect the floo network with her parents place, just in case they needed to get in touch with them. Hermione however admitted her parents didn't like magic and wouldn't agree to use the floo network, meaning plans had to be changed. After a bit of research Draco found a hotel in the country that was part magical and part muggle. That way Hermione's parents could get in touch with the muggle part of the hotel if they needed anything and Lucius and Narcissa could use the wizarding part if they needed Draco.

On the Friday they were going away Hermione finished work early to get Zara ready for a weekend with her grandparents. After packing Zara an overnight bag, Hermione then dropped her daughter off with her parents and let them know she'd pick her up on Sunday evening, before returning home and getting ready for her own weekend.

Hermione had just placed her bag in the front room when there was a knock on the door. Answering it she was greeted by a smiling Draco, who was carrying an overnight bag. Letting him in, she gave him a quick kiss before locking the door behind him and grabbing her bag.

"Are you ready?" Draco asked.

"Two seconds," Hermione answered. After activating her wards, she turned to Draco with a smile. "I'm ready."

After retrieving the address of the hotel, Hermione and Draco flooed to their destination. They arrived in the wizarding reception area of the rustic country hotel. While Draco went to check them in, Hermione looked around, wondering how the blend of magic and muggle worked. From what she could see everything looked to be aimed at magical people, so she was guessing the muggle part of the hotel was an entirely separate space, unless there was an overlap anywhere.

Hermione got her answer a few minutes later when Draco returned with the key to their suite. As they travelled up to the suite in the lift he explained the magical part of the hotel was hidden from the muggles. Outside of the magical boundaries there was a charm stopping magic being used, so the muggles wouldn't notice anything amiss. It was up to the individual witches and wizards whether they remained in the magical part or ventured into the muggle part. There were plenty of facilities in the magical part, but there were a few features only available if you crossed over to the muggle part of the hotel.

"We can explore the muggle side if you want," Draco said as Hermione skimmed through the leaflet he'd picked up as he was checking in. "I'm getting rather used to muggles."

"Well as long as you don't have to deal with money, or talk to them for too long," Hermione laughed. Draco was indeed becoming more at ease when they ventured into the muggle world on their outings, but he still struggled with muggle money and didn't always understand what muggles were talking about if they mentioned something the wizarding world didn't have.

"I'm still making progress," Draco pouted.

"Yes, you are," Hermione said as they exited the lift and headed towards the suite. "But we'll worry about the muggle side of the hotel later, right now I want to get settled in."

When they entered the large suite, Hermione looked around appraisingly. They'd entered the living room part of the suite, which housed a comfortable looking sofa situated in front of a large fire. The entire back wall was made of glass and opened out onto a balcony, where a table and two chairs were sitting.

"This looks nice," Draco said, before walking over to the adjoining door and opening it.

Hermione followed Draco through the door and found herself in the bedroom. Again the back wall was made of glass and led out onto the balcony. There were a couple of chests of drawers and a wardrobe made from dark wood in the room, but Hermione's eyes were drawn to the huge four-poster bed in the centre of the room. The bed sheets and top pillows were deep red, with a black sheet and black base pillows and the curtains around the bed were the same shade of red, tied back with black ropes.

"Do you want to unpack?" Draco asked. He wasn't sure if Hermione needed to unpack everything to be comfortable, or if she preferred to just grab what she needed from her bag at the time.

"I'll unpack a few bits and pieces," Hermione said, placing her bag on the bed and unzipping it.

Hermione and Draco spent the next few minutes unpacking a few things. Hermione unpacked her favourite dress and hung it up to avoid it getting creased, while Draco did the same with a couple of shirts. They also both unpacked their toiletries in the bathroom, but everything else stayed in their bags beside the bed.

"Do you fancy going for a walk?" Draco asked. "We can explore and see what's nearby."

"Why don't we save that for tomorrow?" Hermione suggested. "Maybe tonight we can order room service and snuggle up beside the fire."

"That sounds good to me," Draco grinned as he gave Hermione a quick kiss.

Finding the room service menu, the pair picked out something to eat and drink. Once the order was placed, using the magical quill and order sheet provided, Draco went to light the fire while Hermione popped into the bathroom to change. The main thing Hermione wanted to change was her underwear. She'd bought a few new pieces for the trip and she wanted to be wearing something nice the first time Draco saw her undressed. She wasn't sure it would be that night, but they would certainly be sleeping together some time over the weekend and Hermione wanted to be prepared for when it did happen.

After slipping into a black and green matching lingerie set, Hermione pulled her trousers back on and grabbed a fresh lilac sweater. Fully clothed, Hermione spritzed on her favourite perfume and applied a dash of clear lip gloss. She then quickly ran a brush through her curls, before heading back into the front room where Draco was waiting for her.

"I thought you'd made a run for it," Draco joked as she entered the room.

"No such luck, you're stuck with me," Hermione replied.

"Good," Draco smiled, pulling Hermione into his arms. "I wouldn't want it any other way."

Draco lowered his lips onto Hermione's, only to be interrupted by the sound of the door. Cursing at the timing of room service, Draco went to answer the door while Hermione settled down on the rug in front of the fire. They'd ordered a selection of food they could nibble on as they talked and when Draco returned from the door he spread it out on the rug. He was also carrying a bottle of wine, which he opened and poured into two glasses. Handing Hermione her glass, he sat down on the floor beside her with his back up against the sofa. Once he was comfortable Hermione nestled into his side and the pair ate their food and chatted.

"Can I ask you something?" Draco questioned. The food had now been cleared away and they had just opened their second bottle of wine.

"Anything," Hermione said.

"Is there a reason your parents don't like magic, or are they just not comfortable around it?"

"They're definitely not comfortable around it. And to be honest they've never liked the fact I'm a witch," Hermione admitted. "If they could, I'm sure they would have stopped me from going to Hogwarts."

"Surely they could have. There's nothing forcing muggles to accept their place at Hogwarts, its well within their rights to turn it down," Draco said.

"They wanted to turn the offer down, but unfortunately for them I was there when Professor McGonagall came to our house and explained everything. After her visit I was so excited and they knew it would have broken my heart if they refused to let me go to Hogwarts," Hermione explained. "I once heard them talking and they wished I'd never met Professor McGonagall. If she'd shown up when I was elsewhere they would have told her to go away and they never would have told me I was a witch."

"So they've never accepted it," Draco said, running his hand through Hermione's curls. He was only just realising how tough her first few years of school must have been, not only did she have to contend with the likes of him mocking her muggle heritage she also had to deal with parents disapproving of her magical ability.

"No." Hermione sighed sadly as she snuggled even closer to Draco. "It's such a big part of who I am, but on a whole they refuse to acknowledge it."

"What about Zara?" Draco asked. "Does it affect how they treat her? She's got magic, I've seen it."

"My parents love her because she's their granddaughter, but they'd prefer it if she was a normal muggle girl. They actually wanted me to move back to the muggle world when I was pregnant. When I told them the father didn't want to know, they tried to persuade me to leave the wizarding world behind and raise Zara in the muggle world, like a normal child."

"Zara is a normal child," Draco scowled. "She's a lovely little witch and there's not a thing wrong with her."

"I know," Hermione soothed, rather surprised by the passion Draco showed as he spoke about her daughter. "That's just what my parents said. They think she can't get a normal childhood in the wizarding world."

"Of course she can," Draco insisted. "Living as a muggle wouldn't be normal for her, she's a witch and she should be living as a witch. It was different for you having muggle parents, but Zara doesn't, she has a brilliant witch as her mother and she should live in our world."

"You don't have to convince me," Hermione chuckled. "I refused to return to the muggle world, neither Zara nor I belong there."

"No, you don't," Draco said, lifting Hermione's head and looking into her deep, brown eyes. "You belong in the wizarding world, with me and Mia."

"Do you really think that?" Hermione whispered. "Do you really think we belong with you and Mia?"

"Yes," Draco nodded. "I think the four of us belong together, and if I get my way that's exactly how we'll end up."

"That sounds nice," Hermione admitted, closing the small gap between them and pressing her lips against his. She knew it was quick to be thinking like this so soon, but things with Draco felt right and when the girls were with them they felt like a proper family.

* * *

Hermione awoke to the feeling of soft kisses being pressed against her bare shoulder and neck. Smiling at the fact she'd woken up wrapped in Draco's arms she pressed back against her lover, her grin widening when Draco let out a soft groan and she felt his hard, toned body pressed right up against her.

"Morning," Draco whispered, trailing his lips up towards her cheek.

"Morning," Hermione replied, turning over and running her fingers down Draco's chest.

"I'm going to miss this," Draco said. As he spoke his hands ventured under the covers and he pulled Hermione's leg over his hip.

"Me too," Hermione moaned, feeling how ready Draco was for her. "We ought to make the most if it."

"Agreed," Draco grinned at Hermione as he adjusted how they were lying and he slipped inside her.

As the couple languidly began to make love, Hermione thought about how perfect their weekend had been so far. After their picnic and talk on Friday night they had slowly undressed each other and made love in front of the roaring fire. They had both been nervous considering it had been quite a while for both of them, but everything was amazing. They had then moved to the bedroom where they had spent almost all night exploring each others bodies and finding out what the other liked.

After sleeping until nearly lunch time on Saturday the couple set about exploring their surroundings. The small village the hotel was located in was perfect for walking, so they had spent their afternoon outside. When they returned they spent the rest of the evening and night warming each other up after being out in the cold air.

Now it was Sunday morning and they would be heading home later that afternoon. As much as they were both looking forward to seeing their daughters, they were aware that they wouldn't be able to have too many weekends away so they intended to enjoy every single second of their break. After spending the entire morning in bed they finally got up and got dressed.

"What do you fancy doing today?" Draco asked as they dressed.

"Why don't we grab something to eat downstairs, and then go for another walk," Hermione replied.

"That's fine," Draco said.

Grabbing their jackets the couple headed downstairs to the restaurant. After a light lunch they set off for their walk, this time heading in the opposite direction that they took the previous day. After walking for ten minutes the couple found themselves strolling hand in hand over the scenic countryside, having left the village behind.

"I've been thinking," Draco said, breaking the peaceful silence that had fallen between them. "I think we should tell the girls about us."

Hermione stopped in her tracks and pulled Draco so he was standing in front of her. "Are you sure?"

They'd discussed the girls numerous times and had agreed they wouldn't breathe a word about their relationship until they were confident it was going to last.

"I am," Draco nodded. "But if you want to wait, I'll understand. I just know that this is it for me, I want to be with you more than anything."

"The feeling's mutual," Hermione smiled. "I'm sure this is the real thing and will last. I just want you to be sure before we tell the girls. Once we do this there's no going back, and if this fails we're going to have two upset girls on our hands."

"I know," Draco replied seriously. "And I wouldn't even be considering this, unless I was sure. After what happened with Astoria I need to be sure for Mia's sake, and I am."

"Then we tell the girls," Hermione said. "We can decide on when and how we're going to do it when we get back."

Draco grinned excitedly at Hermione as he pulled her into his arms. After sharing a heated kiss the couple resumed their walk.

"I haven't pushed you into this, have I?" Draco checked, as they walked.

"No," Hermione replied. "To be honest I've been thinking about it myself, but I wanted to wait until you broached the subject. I know I've got Zara to think about, but considering the past, I know it must be even harder for you with Mia."

"It is, but I know you're not Astoria," Draco said. "You would never just abandon us like she did."

"No I wouldn't," Hermione replied, before lapsing into a contemplative silence.

"What's wrong?" Draco asked when Hermione had been silent for nearly five minutes. He knew it wasn't one of their comfortable silences, he could feel there was something bothering Hermione.

"Can I ask you about Astoria?" Hermione asked quietly.

When Draco didn't answer immediately Hermione thought she'd overstepped the mark. She was just about to apologise when she spotted a wall nearby that Draco was leading them to. Obviously he wanted them to sit down as they discussed his ex, rather than continue their pleasant walk.

"What do you want to know?" he asked, once they had perched on the stone wall.

"Mainly how you ended up together," Hermione said. "From the little bits you've said and from the things I've picked up from Narcissa, you two weren't exactly happy."

"We weren't, and we hadn't been for a long time," Draco admitted. "To be honest we never should have gotten married, but I was a stubborn fool who couldn't see what was right in front of me. No matter how many people warned me Astoria was bad news, I didn't listen, I was blinded by my feelings for her."

"So how did you get together?" Hermione asked.

"We met properly at Daphne's going away party, a year after I left Hogwarts. Astoria was still at school, about to go into her last year. Obviously I'd seen her around and knew her enough to say hello to, but we'd never been friends. Daphne always said her sister was a spoilt little bitch, so to be honest I stayed away from her."

"What changed?" Hermione asked.

"I got talking to her at the party and she didn't seem anything like the spoilt brat Daphne had described," Draco answered. "We hit it off and spent most of the summer together. When she went back to school we wrote to each other and I visited Hogsmeade almost every weekend."

"You loved her," Hermione stated, picking up on the wistful tone in Draco's voice.

"Actually I don't think I did," Draco said thoughtfully. "I did care about her, but I don't think I actually loved her."

"Then why did you marry her?" Hermione frowned.

"Because I thought I did, plus everyone was telling me not to and I hate being told what to do."

"You married her to be rebellious?" Hermione looked at Draco disbelievingly.

"Partly," Draco shrugged sheepishly. "To be honest I was quite happy going to visit her on a weekend and seeing her in the holidays, but everyone kept telling me to watch out for her, that she was only interested in my name and money."

"And that made you get more serious about her," Hermione guessed. She knew Draco well enough to know exactly how he would react to everyone warning him off Astoria.

"Yep," Draco nodded. "Before she even graduated I invited her to move in with me. Of course the second she was in the penthouse, she started dropping hints at marriage. Like a fool I rushed in and proposed and we had a quick wedding, much to my parent's horror."

"So what changed?" Hermione asked.

"After the wedding Astoria started to show her true colours. It quickly became obvious everyone was right, she was after the Malfoy name and the money. The sweet fun-loving girl I'd married was replaced with a witch who spent her entire time shopping and socialising," Draco answered. "With her change of personality came the fights, and by our first anniversary I knew I'd made the biggest mistake of my life."

"Why didn't you end it then?" Hermione asked. She knew from the timings that Draco and Astoria had been married for over two years before they had Mia.

"I didn't want to admit I was wrong and everyone else had been right about her," Draco confessed. "I pretended as if nothing was wrong, and I was happy. Eventually things did get too much and I'd made the decision to leave."

"That's when you found out she was pregnant," Hermione surmised.

"Yes. She hadn't been feeling well for a few weeks, but one day she just collapsed getting out of bed. I rushed her to St Mungo's, and they ran some tests and found she was nearly five months pregnant," Draco said. "You should have seen the look of horror on her face, she was devastated by the news. I always think that if she'd been on her own when she discovered the pregnancy that she would have ended it and I wouldn't have my beautiful little girl."

"That's terrible," Hermione gasped, taking hold of Draco's hand and placing a soft kiss on the back of it.

"Unfortunately, that's Astoria," Draco replied. "Having children wasn't in her plans, and she let me know it. She did nothing but complain throughout the rest of the pregnancy and apart from fighting me over her name, she pretty much ignored Mia."

Hermione knew from Narcissa that Astoria had refused to allow Draco to pick a star or constellation name for their daughter. She'd cruelly objected to the tradition followed by Narcissa's family, and insisted they pick another name for their daughter.

"I'm assuming you then stayed with her for Mia's sake," Hermione said.

"I did. Looking back it was a mistake, but I thought it would be worse for Mia to take her away from her mother. I thought that it was better for her to have Astoria around, even if she was a rubbish mother, but now I realise that she would have been better off without her all along," Draco said. "If I'd left Astoria years ago, Mia wouldn't have suffered so much. We would have been happier much sooner."

"It wasn't your fault Draco, you were doing what you thought was best," Hermione reassured her boyfriend. "Despite having a terrible mother, Mia's still lucky. She's got a brilliant father, who thinks the world of her."

"I guess so," Draco sighed. He knew Hermione was right and he would do anything for his daughter, but he still regretted some of his past decisions. "Do you want to know anything else?"

"I don't think so," Hermione said as she stood up. "I think we should get back on with our walk and leave Astoria in the past where she belongs."

"One more thing." Draco grabbed hold of Hermione's hand and turned her around to face him. "I want you to know that I'm much happier with you. I was never this happy with Astoria, and I certainly didn't feel as comfortable with her as I do with you."

Hermione smiled softly as she leant over and pressed her lips against Draco's. "Maybe we should forget the walk and head back to the hotel," She murmured.

Grinning wickedly Draco stood up and pulled Hermione into his arms. He then whipped out his wand and apparated them back to the hotel, where they went back to their suite and ended up spending the rest of the afternoon in bed.


	8. Chapter 8

When Draco and Hermione returned from their weekend away they set about deciding the best way of breaking the news of their relationship to the girls. However when they started to discuss it, they realised they had no idea how to broach the subject with Mia and Zara. As clever as both girls were they were still only three years old, therefore their understanding of adult matters was limited. Eventually they decided to just be honest with the girls. They sat them down one afternoon and told them they were a couple and tried to explain to the girls what that would entail. However all Mia and Zara were bothered about was if they were still friends and could spend time together. Once the girls were reassured they could still be friends, they were as happy as anything and took everything in their stride.

However just to be sure the girls understood the changes, Hermione and Draco were more affectionate towards one another. When they were out they often held hands, Draco often sat with his arm around Hermione and they shared a few brief kisses. The girls never made a fuss whenever their parents acted like a couple, more often than not they giggled at their parent's antics.

As Christmas approached Draco and Hermione were spending more and more time together, sometimes with the girls and sometimes just the two of them. On Christmas Eve, Draco had invited Hermione and Zara to visit the manor so they could exchange presents and spend some time together. Shortly after lunch on the day in question Draco was waiting in the floo room for Hermione and Zara to arrive. Mia had accompanied him and was sitting impatiently waiting for her friend. Eventually the floo lit up and Hermione arrived holding onto her daughter and a gift bag of presents.

"Hi," Draco smiled happily at Hermione as he stepped forward and greeted her with a kiss.

"Hey," Hermione smiled back at Draco.

Beside them Mia and Zara were happily chatting away, totally oblivious to their parents actions. However once the pair separated, Zara gave Draco a hug while Mia did the same with Hermione.

"Let's head into the front room," Draco said. "Mother's organised cookies and milk for the girls."

When they entered the front room, Lucius and Narcissa were sitting waiting for them. The elder Malfoys greeted both Hermione and Zara warmly. The pair had been to the manor a few times since their first visit and with each passing visit Hermione was beginning to feel increasingly comfortable in the large house.

Straight away Mia and Zara grabbed a cookie and settled down on the floor with their milk, while Hermione and Draco sat down on the sofa and Narcissa poured them a cup of tea. For a while the four adults sat chatting, before Lucius announced it was time to exchange presents. Cheering excitedly Mia and Zara hopped onto the sofa with Draco and Hermione.

"Why don't we start with the two little princesses?" Draco suggested. Whipping his wand out, he summoned a box from under the tree. "That's for you Zara," he said handing the small girl the box. "It's from me and Mia."

"Can I open it?" Zara asked.

"Yes," Draco answered with a smile.

Zara ripped into the paper and squealed in delight when she found a fairy costume. The dressing up outfit consisted of a pink fairy dress, pink ballet style shoes, golden wings, a golden tiara and a golden star wand.

"It's gorgeous Draco," Hermione said, looking at the gift in her daughter's hands. "Thank you. Zara, say thank you."

"Thank you Draco." Zara grinned toothily at Draco, before clambering onto his knee and giving him a big hug. "I like fairies."

"I know you do sweetheart," Draco replied, dropping a kiss on the top of Zara's head before she climbed off his knee and returned to her seat.

"I guess its Mia's turn next," Hermione said, reaching into her bag and pulling out a present for Draco's daughter. "There you go, darling," she said, handing the present over.

Like Zara before her, Mia checked she could open her present before ripping into the paper. Mia's present was a doll, clutching a toy unicorn. The doll was charmed to look like its owner so it had long dark blonde hair and grey eyes, just like Mia, and she was wearing a headband with Mia written on.

"It's me," Mia gasped.

"It is," Hermione nodded. "It's a little doll Mia."

"Thank you," Mia cried, flying into Hermione's arms.

After hugging Hermione for a while, Mia returned to her seat and began comparing presents with Zara. While the girls were busy Hermione reached into her bag and produced two bottle shaped presents. One she handed to Narcissa while the other she gave to Lucius.

"You really didn't have to do this," Narcissa said, opening her present to find a bottle of her favourite elf made wine. Lucius had also opened his gift and had revealed a bottle of his preferred brand of firewhisky.

"I wanted to," Hermione told the couple. "You've both been so welcoming to me and especially Zara."

"It's our pleasure," Lucius replied. "And here, we have a little something for you."

Lucius used his wand to summon a parcel from under the tree, which he promptly handed to Hermione. Hermione unwrapped the present and found a box containing a set of four wizarding mystery novels.

"I hope they're okay," Narcissa said. "Draco told us what sort of books you liked, and since these are new I figured you probably didn't already have them."

"I don't," Hermione answered. She had actually looked at the books when she was shopping the previous week, but she was more concerned with buying presents for Zara rather than herself. "I love them, thank you."

"We also have a present for Zara," Lucius said, summoning yet another present from under the tree.

At the mention of her name Zara looked up, her eyes widening when she saw the long present in Lucius's hands. Hermione's eyes also widened when she saw the present, it was very clearly a broomstick. It did just look to be a little training one like Mia had, but it was a broom all the same and Hermione wasn't sure if she wanted her daughter to have her own broom. Zara however seemed thrilled at the prospect and she jumped up and ran over to Lucius, who gave her the present. Quickly she opened it up, jumping up and down in delight at the sight of her very own broomstick.

"Look Mummy, look," Zara cried excitedly. "A broom."

"I thought if she had her own then the girls could fly together," Lucius said to Hermione. "Don't worry, it'll still be safe, I won't let anything happen to her," he reassured when he noticed the wary look on her face.

"I know you won't," Hermione said with a small smile. She was still nervous about Zara having a broom, but she couldn't deny that her daughter was thrilled with the gift.

"Can we fly?" Zara asked Lucius, smiling pleadingly at him.

"If it's okay with your mother," Lucius answered.

Zara turned to Hermione, her eyes begging her mother for permission to fly. "Please Mummy."

"Okay, you can go and test out your new broom," Hermione said, causing both Zara and Mia to cheer enthusiastically.

"Why don't Lucius and I take the girls into the garden for a fly, and you two can exchange your gifts," Narcissa suggested to Hermione and Draco. "When you've finished you can come outside and we can build a snowman."

"It's not snowing," Hermione replied in confusion.

"Lucius has set up a small winter wonderland in the garden," Narcissa explained. "The enchanted snow is perfect for making snowmen."

"In that case, we'll be outside in a little while," Hermione said.

"No need to rush, you two enjoy some time alone," Narcissa said to the couple as she stood up. "Come on girls, let's go flying," she called.

Mia and Zara happily went outside with Lucius and Narcissa, leaving Hermione and Draco alone. Draco then summoned his present for Hermione from under the tree, while Hermione pulled Draco's out of her bag.

"Happy Christmas, Draco," Hermione said, handing her boyfriend his present.

Draco opened his present, which turned out to be a silver watch. The face of the watch contained the Malfoy family crest, much to Draco's surprise. A watch like that had to be custom made and no doubt cost Hermione a fortune.

"It's amazing," Draco said, taking the watch from the box and slipping it on his wrist. "Thank you."

Leaning over he pressed his lips gently against Hermione's, before handing her the present he'd gotten her. Hermione carefully opened her present to reveal a deep sapphire box, opening the box she found a heart shaped ruby pendant and earrings set nestled on black silk.

"Thank you, they're gorgeous." Looking up at Draco she smiled at him. "I love them, and I love you. I know we haven't been together that long, but it's how I feel. You're the best thing to happen to me in a long time, and I want you to know it." When Draco opened his mouth to speak, Hermione quickly placed her finger over his lips and shook her head. "You don't have to say it back. I know it's quick, but I just had to get it out. I don't expect you to return the sentiment."

"But I do," Draco said, removing her finger from over his lips. "Take a good look at the pendant."

Hermione looked at the pendant, but couldn't see anything different about it. Lifting it out of the box she suddenly spotted something in the centre of the heart. Holding the pendant up to the light, gold writing was visible inside the heart. In italic script were the words 'I love you', engraved in the stone.

"That was in case I chickened out of actually telling you how I felt," Draco said when Hermione turned back to face him. "But I'm not going to. Hermione, I love you."

Hermione felt the tears welling up at Draco's declaration of love, but instead of crying she surged forward and connected her lips with Draco's. Draco's hand came up to caress her cheek, while Hermione wrapped her hand around Draco's neck and toyed with the hair at the nape of his neck. Without breaking the kiss, Draco pulled Hermione right up against him and she instantly pressed her body as close to him as she could get. When Draco's hand trailed down her neck and made its way to her breast, Hermione reluctantly stopped him.

"This isn't the best place for this," she muttered regretfully.

"I know," Draco sighed. As much as he wanted Hermione right there and then he knew it wasn't appropriate with his parents and the girls just outside as any one of them could pop back in at any time.

"I'm sure we can find some time alone soon," Hermione said.

"I'm sure we will," Draco agreed. "But for now, maybe we should head outside with the girls."

Hermione nodded in agreement and after taking the time to put her new pendant and earrings on, they headed outdoors. When they got outside they watched Mia and Zara zooming around on their brooms. Even though he had two little ones to control, Lucius seemed to be managing great and the girls were shrieking with joy.

After a while the girls decided it was time to build a snowman, so Lucius put their brooms away and summoned a box of stuff for the snowman. Lucius then led the girls over to the winter wonderland part of the garden and the fun began. While Mia and Zara began building their snowman, Hermione looked around in amazement. The patch of garden had been totally transformed with enchanted snow lying on the floor and on nearby trees. There was a small ice rink in the corner and beside it was an igloo, with a stuffed polar bear guarding the entrance. Even with all the snow and ice it still wasn't cold, meaning the girls would be happy to play outside for a while.

"This is brilliant," Hermione said to Draco. "Can you get inside the igloo?"

"I don't think you can, you're a bit big," Draco chuckled. "But the girls could get in and play."

"Are you two coming to help or do I have to resort to throwing snowballs?" Lucius called.

"Snowballs," Mia yelled. Zara soon joined in and within minutes both girls were chanting for snowballs.

"Sorry, I've got my orders," Lucius smirked, balling up a pile of snow in his hands.

Before either Draco or Hermione could react, Lucius had hurled the snowball at them. Luckily his aim was off and it went whizzing in between them.

"This is war," Draco declared as he began scooping up his own pile of snow. "Girls pick a side to fight with. Me or Grandpa Lu."

Quickly Mia and Zara grabbed their own small handfuls of snow and stood next to Lucius.

"It looks like I've got my army," Lucius smirked.

"I've got Hermione and mother," Draco shot back.

"Leave me out of this," Narcissa said from the side-lines.

"Me too," Hermione said, darting away from Draco and joining Narcissa off to the side.

"You're leaving me to face them alone?" Draco asked with a pout.

"You'll cope," Hermione laughed.

Just then Lucius ordered the girls to charge and before Draco could react he was hit by two little balls of snow, which had been helped to hit their target with a bit of magic from Lucius. Mia and Zara then began to chase Draco with snowballs, and with a bit of magical help from Lucius they soon won the mini snowball fight. Once the girls had stopped laughing at their antics, attention was returned to the reason they were playing in the snow and by the time they were finished a large snowman had pride of place in the middle of the winter wonderland section of the garden.


	9. Chapter 9

Hermione snuggled closer to Draco on the sofa, as she watched Zara and Mia playing. It was a Saturday afternoon in the middle of January and since the weather was so cold Draco and Hermione had decided not to take the girls anywhere. Instead Draco had brought Mia over to Hermione's and they settled for a quiet day indoors. While the couple were content to relax on the sofa, the two girls had toys strewn everywhere as they raced around the house.

"Do you want a cuppa?" Hermione asked Draco.

"Yeah," Draco replied. "I'll come and help you."

Carefully stepping over the girl's toys, Draco and Hermione made their way into the kitchen. As well as making themselves a drink they also fixed some juice and grabbed some biscuits for Mia and Zara.

"Do you think Mia would be up for a sleepover tonight?" Hermione asked.

"I'm not sure," Draco answered, looking over to where his daughter was sitting. "The only time I've ever left her overnight, she's been at the manor."

"Who mentioned you leaving her?" Hermione smirked. "I was thinking you might be up for a sleepover as well."

"So that's your wicked plan," Draco chuckled, pulling Hermione into his arms. "You're going to distract the girls by having Mia stay over, all so you can get me alone."

"You caught me," Hermione grinned. "The whole suggestion stems from me wanting you in my bed."

"Well, what can I say, I'm irresistible," Draco teased.

"You're a conceited git," Hermione retorted, rolling her eyes at her boyfriend. "So what do you say, are you up for a sleepover?"

"As long as Mia's okay with everything, I'm up for it," Draco answered.

"Let's go and ask her then," Hermione said.

Giving Draco a quick kiss, Hermione left his embrace and began sorting the drinks and biscuits onto a tray. Once the tray was sorted, Draco carried it into the front room and placed it on the coffee table. Calling a halt to the girls playtime, Hermione called them over for refreshments. Once the girls were sitting sipping their juice and munching on their cookies, Draco and Hermione broached the subject of a sleepover.

"Mia, do you want to sleep here tonight?" Draco asked.

"With Zara?" Mia asked with a smile.

"Yes," Hermione nodded. "You can stay in her room with her tonight."

"Will you be here, Daddy?" Mia questioned, biting her lower lip nervously. It was obvious to both Draco and Hermione that Mia wanted to stay with Zara, but was unsure of leaving her father for the night.

"Yes, I'll be here," Draco reassured his daughter. "We're both going to have a sleepover."

"Are you sharing with Mummy?" Zara asked Draco.

"Yes," Hermione answered, when Draco looked slightly taken aback by her daughter's forthrightness. "Draco is sharing with me, and Mia can share with you. Is that okay?"

"Yes," Zara nodded happily. "Can we go to bed now?"

"Not yet," Hermione laughed. "It's only the middle of the afternoon, you can play a bit longer."

After finishing their juice, Zara and Mia returned to playing, while Draco and Hermione sat watching them. The couple also decided that Draco would just pop back to the Manor later on and get whatever he and Mia needed for the night.

"Don't forget you'll need some sort of pyjamas yourself," Hermione warned Draco as they ran over what he would need for Mia.

"They'll only just come off again, why bother," Draco shrugged.

"I'm thinking you might need them in the morning. I don't know about Mia, but Zara tends to just burst into my room on a morning," Hermione answered.

"Mia does like to hop in for a cuddle," Draco said. Normally he always wore pyjama bottoms, but the weekend him and Hermione had spent alone they'd slept naked, and he'd enjoyed having Hermione pressed up against him. However he knew that wasn't an option with the girls running around.

As the afternoon wore on, Draco headed back to the manor to grab some stuff for him and Mia. While he was gone, Hermione decided to sort dinner and settled for ordering a couple of pizzas. She then got the girls to tidy up their toys, so they could spend the evening watching a film. When Draco returned with a bag, he found Zara and Mia snuggled up on the sofa with Hermione.

"I've ordered pizza, and we're going to watch a film," Hermione explained to her boyfriend.

"Okay," Draco answered, dropping his bag at the bottom of the stairs.

As the girls picked a film from the vast range of Disney films Hermione had ensured Zara owned, the pizzas arrived. Hermione sorted the pizzas and placed them on the table, along with glasses of wine for her and Draco and juice for the girls. Once the film was picked, Hermione started it and they settled down to enjoy it. Draco was still a novice with films, Hermione had explained about them but this was his first experience watching one. Mia however had watched quite a few with Zara on their various play-dates, and she watching avidly as she munched on her pizza.

Once the film was over, Hermione announced it was time for the girls to get ready for bed. Zara and Mia happily ran upstairs, and let Draco and Hermione wash them and get them into their pyjamas. The girls then settled into Zara's bed, which Hermione had enlarged slightly with magic.

"Do you want a story?" Hermione asked the duo. Both girls eagerly nodded their heads. "Who do you want to read the story?"

"Draco," Zara cried.

"'Mione," Mia called at the same time.

"How about we both tell you a story?" Draco suggested.

The girls happily agreed to two stories. Hermione went first and after reading a story from a muggle fairy-tale book she handed it to Draco. Draco then found a story and read it to the girls, before settling them down for the night. As they left the bedroom, Hermione flicked on Zara's nightlight and pulled the door almost closed.

Wanting to be sure the girls were asleep before they headed to bed, Hermione and Draco headed back downstairs for a while. Hermione poured them a second glass of wine and the couple settled down on the sofa.

"Do you want to watch another film?" Hermione asked. "I have some that aren't cartoons."

"I'm not that bothered," Draco responded. Placing his glass down on the table, he removed Hermione's from her hand and slid across the sofa towards her. "I'm sure we can find other forms of entertainment."

"I'm sure we can," Hermione murmured as Draco's lips descended on hers.

Hermione and Draco stayed on the sofa for nearly an hour, until things began to get heated and they decided to move things to the bedroom. On their way to Hermione's room they checked on the girls and found they were both spark out, each clutching a teddy and each other. Quietly making their way to Hermione's room they cast a silencing spell that would ensure the girls wouldn't hear them, but they could still hear if the girls needed them. The second the bedroom door was firmly shut, clothes started to fly as the amorous couple collapsed onto the bed together.

* * *

Draco was awoken by a small body jumping onto the bed. In his half asleep state, he just assumed it was Mia, but when he opened his eyes and spotted Zara's brunette hair, he remembered where he was. Opening his eyes properly, he found Zara settling herself between him and Hermione. Hermione was fully awake and was busy talking to Mia, who was standing nervously by the door.

"Come on, sweetheart," Hermione said to the blonde girl. "Hop in."

"Really?" Mia asked, creeping forward slowly.

"Of course," Hermione answered. She was puzzled by Mia's hesitance to get into bed as the previous day Draco had mentioned she often climbed into bed with him on a morning. "Come on Mia."

Slowly Mia walked towards the bed and Hermione helped her clamber up onto the bed. Once she was on the bed, Mia settled down in the middle of the bed beside Zara. Almost immediately the two girls snuggled closer to Hermione and Draco and drifted off to sleep again.

"Is she okay?" Hermione whispered to Draco, gesturing to Mia, who had snuggled up next to her father.

"Yeah, I think seeing you made her unsure if she could get into bed," Draco answered quietly.

"Why?" Hermione frowned, hoping she hadn't done something to upset Mia. "Does she not like me?"

"She loves you," Draco reassured Hermione with a smile. "I think she was worried you were going to be like Astoria. She would never let Mia into bed when she was there. If Mia turned up in our room I used to take her back to her room and climb into her bed with her. However since Astoria left, Mia's just been able to hop into my bed whenever she wanted."

"Poor little thing," Hermione sighed, reaching over and stroking Mia's hair. "We'll just have to make sure she knows she's always welcome in our bed."

"Our bed?" Draco raised an eyebrow at Hermione's choice of words.

"You know what I mean," Hermione mumbled, blushing slightly as she realised what she'd said.

"Yeah, I do," Draco smiled. He liked the idea of him and Hermione having a shared bed and he was pleased her thoughts looked to be travelling in the same direction as his.

After another hour in bed, Zara and Mia woke up again and the foursome headed down for some breakfast. While Hermione sorted the breakfast she watched Draco and the girls sitting at the kitchen table, laughing and joking. Smiling at how happy everyone seemed to be and how well they all gelled together, Hermione placed bowls of porridge down in front of everyone.

After breakfast they all trooped back upstairs to get dressed. Once they were dressed, Zara and Mia played in her bedroom for another hour, before it was time for Draco and Mia to leave. Hermione and Zara had already made plans to visit The Burrow for Sunday lunch while Draco knew his mother would be expecting him and Mia.

"Can we do this again?" Zara asked as Draco and Mia prepared to leave.

"How about next time you and your Mum come and stay at the manor with us?" Draco suggested.

"Can we?" Zara asked excitedly. She loved visiting the Manor and the thought of spending the entire night clearly appealed to the small girl.

"Yeah," Mia grinned. "You can sleep in my bed, and 'Mione can sleep with Daddy. He has a big bed."

"It sounds like that's all sorted," Hermione chuckled as the girls made plans.

"Who are we to ruin their fun?" Draco shrugged. "Unless of course, you don't want to come and try out my big bed."

"I'll come," Hermione replied.

"That's my aim," Draco grinned.

Hermione laughed and shook her head at Draco, before turning to Mia and saying goodbye to the little girl. Draco also said goodbye to Zara, before picking Mia up and stepping into the emerald flames of the fire. When they emerged at the manor, Draco put Mia down and she went running into the front room.

"Grandpa Lu. Nana Cissa," Mia called, entering the room at speed.

"Someone's excited," Lucius chuckled, scooping his granddaughter up in his arms.

"Did you have a good time?" Narcissa asked.

"Yes," Mia beamed widely at her grandparents. "I slept in Zara's bed and Daddy slept with 'Mione."

"Did he now," Lucius smirked as Draco entered the room.

"Yes," Mia nodded. "And now Zara is going to sleep in my bed and 'Mione is going to use Daddy's big bed."

"I'm sure that bed will get a lot of use," Lucius remarked.

Draco glared at his father, but didn't get a chance to speak before Mia was off again. This time she told her grandparents all about the games she and Zara played and the toys they used. She then launched into a detailed description of the Disney film they'd watched, much to Lucius and Narcissa's bemusement. Films were a totally alien concept to Lucius, and while Narcissa knew a bit more she still didn't really know much about what her granddaughter was talking about. What they did know however was that Mia was as happy as they'd ever seen her and had clearly had a great time on her first sleepover.

* * *

While Mia was excitedly telling her grandparents about her sleepover, Zara was doing the same thing at The Burrow. The second Hermione and Zara arrived the little witch ran over to her Uncle Harry, who was sitting with Ginny, Fred and George, and began telling him about her fun with Mia.

"And she stayed all night," Zara told Harry.

"That's great, sweetheart," Harry smiled at his god-daughter. "And did Draco come and pick her up this morning?"

"No silly, he stayed with Mummy," Zara giggled.

"Really?" Ginny grinned at Hermione. "It sounds like it was fun for everyone."

"Yes, Zara and Mia had a great time," Hermione replied.

"I bet you and Draco had a good time as well," Fred chuckled.

"Yeah," George agreed. "How come you've never invited us for sleepovers? I'd be willing to share your bed."

Hermione laughed as George wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at her. While both the twins liked to flirt, especially with her, she knew they were both devoted to their wives and were just having a bit of fun.

"Next time I'm going to sleep in Mia's bed," Zara announced, drawing the attention back to her.

"You're going to the manor?" Harry asked Hermione.

"We have been before," Hermione pointed out. "Granted we've never spent the night, but really it'll be no different from what happened last night."

"So you're going for a sleepover as well, are you?" Ginny smirked.

"I can't leave Zara alone," Hermione replied, even though she knew her daughter would be more than happy to spend the night with Mia without her. She was a lot more outgoing than Mia and spending the night away from Hermione probably wouldn't affect her very much.

"More like you can't leave Draco alone," George laughed.

"Well you can't expect the poor bloke to sleep alone can you?" Fred grinned. "He might need someone to hold his hand."

"I don't think it's his hand that Hermione plans on holding," George remarked.

George, Fred and Harry burst out laughing at George's remark, while Zara just looked at the adults in confusion. Shrugging her little shoulders she climbed down off Harry's knee, grabbed her backpack and pulled out her doll.

"I'm going to see if Molly needs any help in the kitchen," Hermione announced. "Harry, keep an eye on Zara please."

"Sure," Harry replied, glancing down at Zara who was sitting at his feet playing with her doll.

As Hermione left the front room and headed into the kitchen, Ginny followed after her. Ginny wanted all the juicy gossip of the previous night and once she'd mentioned the sleepover in the kitchen, Angelina and Alicia also wanted details. Sitting down at the kitchen table, Hermione found herself the focus of attention as she tried to answer her friends questions without revealing too much personal information about what her and Draco had gotten up to the previous night.


	10. Chapter 10

"You are going to behave today, aren't you?" Draco checked with Pansy and Blaise as they arrived at the manor.

It was Mia's fourth birthday and Narcissa had arranged for a small gathering for her granddaughter. Obviously Blaise and Pansy were attending with their son, Zack, and Hermione would be bringing Zara. It was also the first time his friends were meeting Hermione as his girlfriend, and he wanted everything to go perfectly. It was important to him that his friends learnt to get along with the witch he loved.

"What exactly do you think we're going to do?" Blaise questioned with a chuckle.

"I don't know," Draco answered, his grey eyes flicking to Pansy.

"Don't worry Draco, I'll give her a chance," Pansy promised her friend. She knew he was more worried about her reaction considering back in school she hadn't exactly gotten along with Hermione.

"A chance to do what?" Draco asked warily. Pansy's reply hadn't exactly been the ringing endorsement about making the effort that he'd hoped for.

"Well before I go around making friends with her, I need to know she's serious about you," Pansy answered. "Not to mention Mia. After everything that happened with Astoria, I don't want either of you to get hurt."

"I appreciate that, but Hermione won't hurt us. This is the real thing with Hermione, we're both serious." Draco smiled at Pansy, he knew she was just looking out for him and Mia but hopefully spending a few hours with Hermione could show her how well suited they were.

"Let's hope so," Pansy replied. "And speaking of Hermione, is she here yet?"

"Not yet," Draco answered. "She had a few things to do, but she'll be here in a while."

"While we're waiting, we might as well see the birthday girl," Blaise said. "Where is Mia?"

"Outside with my parents," Draco answered. "Come on, let's go and join them."

Draco took his friends outside, where Mia was happily sitting with her grandparents. Narcissa had placed a large table on the grass, near to the playground area, and filled it with food and drink. She'd also spread out a couple of rugs for the children to play on, and a table and chairs for the adults to sit at.

When Draco, Blaise and Pansy arrived Lucius and Narcissa were sitting at the table talking while Mia was sitting at her own little desk. Sprawled over the surface of Mia's desk was colouring books, paper and pencils galore. In the last month or so she'd developed a fascination with colouring in and drawing and spent hours creating pictures for people.

After saying hello to Narcissa and Lucius, Blaise put Zack down on one of the rugs and cast a spell around him, to stop him from wandering off the rug. Mia meanwhile had left her art and came running over to her godparents. Pansy swooped down and kissed Mia, before Blaise did the same.

"Here's your present Mia," Pansy said, pulling a brightly wrapped gift from her bag and handing it to Mia. "Happy Birthday, darling."

"Thank you," Mia beamed, before tearing into the present.

The present was a doll, and Mia pulled it out of the packaging to examine it closer. After a few minutes she took the doll over to her desk and propped it up beside her. She then settled back down at her desk and resumed her drawing.

"She's keen on her art," Blaise chuckled as he sat down on the rug with his son.

"She is," Draco said, joining his friend on the floor. "You should have seen her last week making cards for Valentine's Day. She was absolutely covered in pink glitter. I'm still finding the damn stuff in my bed."

"And who exactly was she making cards for?" Blaise questioned. "Has she got a little boyfriend at pre-school?"

"No," Draco replied, looking horrified at the idea his little girl had a boyfriend. "She was making them for everyone. Personally I think it was just an excuse to use glitter."

As Draco and Blaise carried on talking, Pansy headed over to Mia and sat down on the grass beside her. The desk Mia was sitting at was small enough for Pansy to still see what the little witch was up to.

"That's a pretty picture," Pansy said, pointing to the paper Mia was currently working on.

The paper contained two little stick figures, one with long yellow hair and the other with brown curly hair.

"That's me," Mia explained, pointing to the stick figure with yellow hair. "And that's Zara," she added, pointing to the other figure.

"You've given yourself very long hair," Pansy said. "Your hair doesn't reach your feet like it does in the picture."

"Not yet. But it's going to grow and I'm going to be like 'Punzel." Mia answered.

"'Punzel?" Pansy frowned. "Who's 'Punzel?"

"Like the story," Mia said as though Pansy was stupid for not knowing what she was talking about. When Pansy still looked blank, Mia launched into the story of Rapunzel.

"She means Rapunzel, It's a muggle fairy tale," Narcissa whispered to Pansy as Mia was talking. She was sitting near enough to hear enough of the conversation to know that Pansy was slightly bewildered by her granddaughter.

"Thanks," Pansy whispered back to Narcissa, before nodding along to Mia's story as she pretended to know the story.

"So you're really going to grow your hair, really long?" Pansy asked when Mia finally finished her story.

"Yes," Mia nodded excitedly. "It'll be so long," she said, gesturing with outstretched arms to show how long her hair would be.

"Wow, that's long," Pansy chuckled. "So what else have you been drawing? You look like quite the little artist."

Mia giggled happily as she began showing Pansy her pictures, and explaining what they were as most of them weren't very clear. Most of her pictures were of fairies, as she'd developed quite a fascination with the small creatures. She'd also drawn pictures of unicorns, and her grandparents. Finally Mia showed her a picture of two more stick figures, one had brown curly hair like the picture of Zara and the other had yellow hair.

"Is that Zara again?" Pansy asked.

"No, it's 'Mione," Mia giggled. "And that's Daddy."

"Of course it is," Pansy stated. "And what are the little pink things between them?"

"Hearts," Mia answered. "It's for when they get sloppy and kiss."

"And do they kiss often?" Pansy questioned, interested in hearing what Mia had to say about Draco's new relationship.

"Yep," Mia nodded. "They're always going kissy, kissy. Like you and Uncle Blaise. Or Nana Cissa and Grandpa Lu."

"Your Nana Cissa and Grandpa Lu kiss?" Pansy queried.

"When no-one's watching they're always being sloppy," Mia confided rather loudly.

Pansy laughed at Mia, and when she looked up at Narcissa she laughed even more by the embarrassed look on her face. Luckily for Narcissa she was saved from Mia giving more details about what her and Lucius got up to, by her granddaughter squealing loudly and jumping up from her seat.

"Zara! 'Mione!"

Quickly Mia rushed over to where Hermione and Zara were approaching. The pair had been to the manor enough times for them to find their way to the garden without an escort and Draco had told Hermione that's where they would find everyone.

"Hello, Mia." Hermione grinned at the little girl and picked her up as she came flying towards her. "Happy Birthday, princess."

After giving Mia a kiss, she placed her back down on the floor so she could greet Zara. As the two girls hugged and chatted, Hermione made her way towards the adults. Draco had stood up when she arrived and he greeted his girlfriend with a brief kiss, before turning back to his watching friends.

"Hermione, you remember Pansy and Blaise," Draco said, making the introductions.

"I do," Hermione nodded. "It's nice to see you again."

"It's nice to meet you properly, Hermione," Blaise said, throwing the clearly nervous witch a smile.

"Yes, it is," Pansy agreed with her husband as she also gave Hermione a small smile. "Draco can't stop talking about you."

"Pansy," Draco hissed, a slight blush appearing on his pale features.

"What, it's true," Pansy shrugged, smirking at her friend.

Draco glared at his friend, but before he had a chance to say more Zara and Mia appeared at their side.

"Mummy, can we give Mia her present?" Zara asked.

"Of course." Hermione reached into her bag and pulled out a small box that she'd shrunk earlier that day. Using her wand she returned the box to its normal size, which was quite large, and placed it on the rug at her feet. "It's pretty heavy for a little girl," she told Mia. "But you can open it on the floor."

Mia settled down on the rug with Zara, and began ripping into the paper. Once the paper was ripped off, she was faced with a wooden box. Flipping the lid open, Mia let out an excited cry. The entire box was stuffed full of drawing materials; there were colouring books, drawing pads, crayons, pencils, glitters and numerous other art supplies. One by one Mia lifted everything out of the box, squealing even louder when she found a colouring book full of fairy pictures.

"Look Daddy, fairies," Mia said, waving the book in the air. Diving back into the box, she then pulled out a pack of pencils with more fairies on the front. "Fairy colours," she screamed excitedly.

Mia shoved the book and pencils into Draco's hands, so he could look at them. When he did he found the pencils were glittery and were enchanted so that they sparkled on the page. Handing the goodies back to his excited daughter, he then turned to Hermione.

"Thank you for the box, it's great," Draco told Hermione. "Mia loves it."

"I know she's developed an interest in art, so I thought she would like it," Hermione said. "Although the fairy book and colours were down to Zara, she spotted them when we were shopping and begged me to get them for Mia."

"Well, I would say they were a hit," Blaise remarked, gesturing to where Mia and Zara had sprawled out over the nearby rug. Mia had opened her book at the first page and together the two girls were carefully colouring the picture in.

"I have to say, those two seem to have hit if off rather well," Pansy said.

"They have," Draco agreed. "They're crazy about each other."

"It's nice," Pansy said with a wistful smile. "I wish I'd had a good friend like that when I was Mia's age."

"Me too," Hermione agreed. "I never really had friends when I was younger. I was always the weird girl in our neighbourhood."

"Was that because of your magic?" Pansy asked, settling down beside Hermione.

Hermione nodded and as the two witches began to talk, Draco and Blaise exchanged a smile. It looked as though Pansy and Hermione were going to get along just fine, much to Draco's relief. The last thing he'd wanted to deal with was a bad atmosphere between his girlfriend and one of his best friends. Luckily that didn't appear to be an issue as the two witches were clearly making an effort with one another. Maybe in time they would even become good friends.

* * *

Hermione closed her eyes and sighed happily as Draco nuzzled at her neck. The pair were in Hermione's kitchen, and were quite happily indulging in a brief make-out session. They should however have been in the garden, where Zara's fourth birthday party was under way. Luckily there was plenty of adults around, so they'd been able to snatch a few minutes alone.

"Will you two put each other down," Angelina called as she entered the kitchen, carrying an empty jug. "This is a kid's party you know. It's not the right time for a quickie in the kitchen."

"We know," Hermione sighed as she and Draco reluctantly separated. "We just needed to escape the madness for a few minutes."

"That I understand," Angelina chuckled.

"I bet you do," Draco remarked. "Living with George must be constant madness."

"It is, but it has its perks as well," Angelina grinned.

"I don't think we need to hear about the perks right this minute," Hermione interjected. She knew Angelina wasn't shy about sharing stories about her sex life with George, but the last thing she wanted was for one the children to come wandering in and overhearing something inappropriate.

"I'll tell you later, then," Angelina winked, causing Hermione to laugh at her.

"Perhaps we should head back outside," Draco suggested.

The three adults headed back outside, to be greeted by the sounds of children running around having fun. Like the previous year's party all the Weasleys were present alongside Neville, Luna and their twins. This year however Hermione had invited Blaise, Pansy and Zack to the gathering. After meeting at Mia's birthday, Hermione had become quite friendly with the couple. She and Draco had been out with them a couple of evenings and more than once they'd met up at a park to enjoy an afternoon with the kids.

"Hermione, I think we have a problem," Alicia said, approaching the hostess.

"What?" Hermione asked, looking around to see if anyone was hurt.

"The bouncy castle has been invaded," Alicia replied.

Hermione looked across to the far side of the garden, where a large bouncy castle was located. When asked what she wanted for her birthday Zara had said a bouncy castle, so Draco had insisted they have one for the party. He'd paid for the entire thing and said it was his present for Zara.

"Everything looks fine to me," Hermione remarked. There didn't look to be any impatient children waiting for their turn, in fact Hermione couldn't see any of the kids near the castle. Pansy and Ginny however were standing next to the castle, with unimpressed looks on their faces.

"Come and see for yourselves," Alicia said.

Hermione, Draco and Angelina followed Alicia across the lawn and when they reached the castle they spotted the problem. Jumping around inside the pink castle were Harry, Fred, George and Blaise.

"Hey, you lot," Draco hollered over the laughter coming from the castle. "This is for the kids."

"Those four are big kids," Ginny snorted.

"Draco," Blaise cried. Spotting his friend he bounced towards the front of the castle, but didn't get off the inflatable object. "Come on in, this is so much fun."

"Will you four get out of there," Hermione tutted. "What if any of the kids want to bounce?"

"To be fair, none of the kids seem interested," Draco said as he eyed up the four bouncing adults inside the castle. "They have been on it all afternoon."

"You're just saying that because you want to join them." Pansy accused.

"I do not," Draco protested, but once again his eyes drifted to the castle.

"For crying out loud, just go and join them," Hermione groaned. "But you are all coming off in ten minutes. Even if I have to get on and drag you all off myself."

"You're the best," Draco grinned at Hermione, before pulling his shoes off and rushing off to join his friends.

"Can you believe those five?" Ginny shook her head. "They're so immature."

"Typical men," Pansy replied.

"Just as long as Fred doesn't want one of his own," Alicia said as the women turned their backs on their partners and returned their attention to their actual children.

"Don't say that too loud," Angelina hissed. "The last thing we want is to give them ideas. They're bad enough as it is."

"True," Alicia nodded.

For a while the five women stood chatting, but Angelina and Alicia wandered off to check on the children. When Hermione turned to check Pansy was okay she found her laughing quietly with Ginny. The two witches had certainly seemed to have hit it off and Hermione was fairly sure they'd spent almost all afternoon talking and laughing together.

"We've been thinking," Ginny said to Hermione. "How would you fancy a triple date?"

"We were thinking the six of us could go out sometime," Pansy added. "It seems as though we're all going to be spending a lot of time together, so we thought it might be nice if we were all friendly."

"I like that idea," Hermione replied. "I'll have to check with Draco, though."

"You can tell they're still in the first flushes of romance, can't you?" Ginny laughed.

"Definitely," Pansy agreed.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.

"Checking with Draco," Pansy answered. "Once you've been with him longer, you'll just be telling him what's going to happen, like I do with Blaise."

"And me and Harry," Ginny added. "I'll just tell him we're going out with you, Draco, Pansy and Blaise and he'll not argue."

"We're definitely not at that stage yet, so I'll check with him," Hermione replied.

"You do know, if you just told him of the plans he wouldn't argue," Pansy pointed out. "He'll pretty much do whatever you want."

"Even so, I'd still rather ask," Hermione said. She knew Pansy was right, but she didn't want to just make plans without checking with her boyfriend first.

"Make sure you do it sometime this afternoon," Ginny said. "We need to start organising where we're going to go and when."

"Who's going where with whom?" Harry questioned from behind the trio.

Hermione, Ginny and Pansy turned around to find Harry, Blaise and Draco standing behind them. Obviously the fun of playing on a children's bouncy castle had worn off.

"Us," Ginny answered her husband. "We're going to go out with Pansy, Blaise, Hermione and Draco one night."

"Are we indeed?" Blaise asked.

"Yes," Pansy answered in a stern voice that left no room for argument.

"When is this all happening?" Draco questioned.

"We haven't decided yet," Hermione replied. "I wanted to check if you were up for it first."

"I'm happy for the six of us to go out one time," Draco replied.

"Excellent," Ginny beamed, before turning to Pansy. "Now where do you fancy going?"

Blaise and Harry took one look at their gossiping wives, before turning and heading towards the food table. They knew enough to know they wouldn't be needed for the planning of the night out, they would just be informed what was happening once everything had been sorted.

"Do you have an opinion, Hermione?" Pansy asked, turning to the brunette witch.

"Why don't you two sort everything and let us know what's happening," Hermione suggested.

"What about getting someone to mind Zara?" Ginny asked. "What if we decide on an inconvenient date and you can't get anyone to babysit?"

"You don't need to worry about that," Draco answered. "Whatever day we're going out my parents will be more than happy to have Zara as well as Mia."

Satisfied with the answer, Ginny and Pansy turned back to their discussion. Hermione shook her head at the pair, before taking hold of Draco's hand and leading him over to some nearby chairs. Sitting down on the chairs, Draco wrapped his arm around Hermione as they watched their two daughters playing nearby.

"You didn't mind me offering my parents up as babysitters, did you?" Draco asked.

"No." Hermione shook her head. "I know Zara would stay with them in a heartbeat. She loves the manor and she loves your parents, they're always so good to her."

"They just enjoy having someone else to spoil," Draco chuckled.

"You're not exactly opposed to spoiling her yourself," Hermione replied. "Look at the bouncy castle. One mention and you had to get her one."

"It sounded like fun," Draco shrugged.

"And was it?" Hermione asked.

"It was okay," Draco replied. "Although it probably would have been more fun with you." Lowering his voice, he moved his mouth closer to Hermione's ear. "Especially if you were naked. I bet we could have all sorts of fun on that thing."

Hermione raised an eyebrow at Draco as she checked no-one was close enough to hear. "Are you suggesting we have sex on a bouncy castle?" she whispered, once she was sure they couldn't be overheard.

"Why not, it could be fun," Draco replied with a smirk.

"And when do you suggest we have our fun?" Hermione questioned. "We're only hiring it for the weekend. It goes back on Monday morning."

"I was thinking tomorrow afternoon," Draco replied. "We could take the girls to the manor and my parents would be more than happy to look after them for an hour or two."

"You're wicked, do you know that?" Hermione chuckled.

"It's part of my charm," Draco grinned back. "So what do you say, are you up for it?"

"How about we decide in the morning," Hermione answered. "After all, we did promise the girls that tomorrow would be just the four of us."

Draco and Mia were staying over at Hermione's that night, something that had become a regular habit, as well as sleepovers at the manor. However they'd promised Mia and Zara that they would spend the entire Sunday snuggled up together, just the four of them.

"Yeah, we did," Draco nodded. "In that case, we could always utilise it tonight. Once the girls are asleep we can sneak back outside for a bit."

"No way," Hermione snorted her disapproval. "I'm not risking being caught frolicking on a bouncy castle by two four year olds."

"I guess we'll just have to hire another one some other time," Draco conceded. "But I promise, one day we'll have some naked fun on a bouncy castle."

"I'll look forward to it," Hermione laughed, leaning closer to Draco as they returned their attention back towards the girls.

A little over an hour later a tired Zara came and climbed up on Draco's lap, snuggling into the blond. Her exhaustion was a clear indicator the party was reaching its end and slowly people began to disperse. Before they left Ginny and Pansy told Hermione the date and time of their triple date and checked it was okay. Hermione noted the date down and promised to let them know if it didn't suit her or Draco for any reason.

Once everyone was gone, Hermione and Draco put Mia and Zara to bed. After the long party both girls were shattered and fell asleep half way through Draco reading them a story. Leaving the sleeping girls for the night, Hermione and Draco headed back to the front room where they relaxed for a few hours before heading off to bed themselves.


	11. Chapter 11

Hermione stood in the doorway of the front room at Malfoy Manor, nervously biting her lip. Despite agreeing to go out with their friends while Draco's parents watched Zara and Mia, she now wasn't so sure. She'd only ever left Zara with family before, which was either her parents or various members of the Weasley family, whom she thought of as family. While she had no doubt Narcissa and Lucius would be fine with Zara, she still couldn't help but shake the worry of leaving her daughter.

"She'll be okay, you know," Draco said, coming up behind Hermione and wrapping his arms around her waist. "I bet she barely even notices we're gone."

Hermione chuckled softly, thinking Draco was probably right. Zara and Mia were currently happily colouring in on the floor and neither girl had missed her and Draco when they popped up to his room to get ready. Hermione had even been standing in the doorway for nearly five minutes, and still her daughter hadn't noticed her.

"I know she'll be fine," Hermione said quietly. "I just can't help but be nervous about leaving her."

"If there's even a hint of a problem, mother will let us know. I promise," Draco told his girlfriend. "I've got a spell connected to my wand so if she wants us, my wand will vibrate in my pocket."

Hermione nodded and took a deep breath to banish her nerves. "Let's say goodbye and go, before I change my mind."

Draco gave Hermione a quick peck on the cheek, before he released her from his arms and stepped around her into the front room. He told his parents they were going, and both him and Hermione said goodbye to the girls. Mia and Zara barely looked up as their parents kissed them goodnight and told them to be good.

"I told you, they won't even notice our absence," Draco whispered to Hermione as the couple left the front room.

"It's nice to be so popular, isn't it?" Hermione chuckled as Draco grabbed her jacket and helped her put it on.

"Isn't it just," Draco laughed as he took hold of Hermione's hand and apparated them to the restaurant where they were meeting their friends.

When they headed inside the restaurant they quickly found Pansy and Blaise settled at a large table at the back of the room. Greeting their friends Draco and Hermione settled down opposite them and ordered drinks from the menu's in front of them. A few minutes later the drinks magically appeared in front of them.

"That could take you by surprise," Hermione remarked as her wine suddenly appeared.

"Tell me about it. The first time Blaise brought me here, I got such a shock with the drinks suddenly popping up that I accidentally knocked it all over his lap when I jumped in surprise," Pansy said.

"I remember that," Blaise said with a rueful shake of his head. "You ruined a pair of my best trousers that night."

"Well if I remember correctly you ruined a pair of my best knickers that night," Pansy retorted.

"It wasn't my fault they were so flimsy that they ripped," Blaise argued. "A sturdier pair would have withstood my tugging."

"You were so eager, nothing would have withstood your tugging," Pansy snorted. "I'm just pleased I'd removed my dress, before you got a chance to tear that as well."

Blaise opened his mouth to respond, but he was interrupted by Ginny and Harry arriving at the table.

"Sorry we're late," Ginny said as the newly arrived couple greeted everyone and slid into their seats. "James had a tantrum just before we left."

"Welcome to the terrible twos," Blaise laughed. "Zack throws a tantrum almost every other day."

"But James isn't two yet," Harry complained. "His birthday isn't for another few months."

"He's just starting early. Think of it this way, he's advanced for his age," Hermione said to her friend with a mischievous smirk.

"That's alright for you to say, Zara's terrible twos lasted all of a few weeks," Harry snorted. "She had a couple of weeks where she was a terror, then she went back to being the sweet little girl we all know."

"I don't think Mia went through the terrible twos," Draco mused as Harry and Ginny ordered their drinks, and like Hermione got a shock when they just appeared on the table a few seconds earlier.

"How can a kid of yours not go through the terrible twos?" Harry gasped. "No offence meant," he amended quickly as he realised he may of just insulted his best friends boyfriend.

"None taken. I know exactly what you mean," Draco chuckled. "Mother always said I went through terrible twos and threes, so I kind of expected Mia to be the same. But she's never been that bad, she gets grumpy occasionally but that's about it."

"Who would have thought that the pair of you would have the most placid of kids," Pansy laughed.

"What do you mean by that?" Draco narrowed his eyes at his friend, suspecting she'd just insulted him and Hermione.

"Well neither of you are exactly temper free, are you?" Pansy pointed out. "We've all witnessed the pair of you tearing strips off each other back in school."

"As you said, it was back in school. We've grown up since then," Draco retorted.

"And don't forget, we learnt to get along quite nicely in seventh year," Hermione added. "We didn't argue much that year."

"There's nothing wrong with a good old fight. The make-up sex is always worth fighting for," Pansy smirked.

Ginny laughed alongside Pansy and the two witches started gossiping about sex and relationships. As their wives were busy bonding, Harry and Blaise began a conversation about quidditch. Draco briefly joined in with the lads, before noticing Hermione was sitting with a faraway look in her eyes.

"Are you okay?" He checked, thinking Hermione was worried about Zara.

"Do you think it's strange that we haven't had a major fight?" Hermione asked. "In fact we've barely had a disagreement since we got together."

"I'm confused. Are you upset because we haven't fought?" Draco frowned. He thought the fact they hadn't had a fight was a good thing, and proof of how well suited they were.

"Not really, I'm just worried that there's a reason we haven't fought," Hermione explained. "What if we haven't fought because there's no real passion between us? What if everything's safe and normal and passion free?"

"There's definitely passion between us," Draco smirked. Placing his hand on Hermione's knee he proceeded to slide his hand up under her dress, causing Hermione to gasp softly and colour flood her cheeks. "See, passion," he whispered in her ear. "You can't seriously be worried about lack of passion."

"Okay, maybe passion free was the wrong description," Hermione conceded. Draco's hand creeping up her thigh had immediately aroused her and every passionate moment between them flashed in her head. Draco was right, passion wasn't a problem for them.

"And as for our lack of fighting, I'm sure it will happen," Draco told his girlfriend. "Don't forget the majority of our time together is spent with the girls, and the time we do get alone is far too valuable to waste fighting with each other."

"You're right," Hermione nodded. "There's plenty of time for fighting. I'm sure once we live together and spend almost every day together we'll have plenty of fights."

"And don't forget the make-up sex," he whispered in her ear, with a wide smile gracing his features. Yet again Hermione had slipped up and revealed more than she'd meant to, this time referring to them living together in the future.

"We can't forget that now, can we?" Hermione grinned. "I'm looking forward to that."

"Maybe I need to pick a fight, just for the make-up sex," Draco said, leaning even closer to Hermione and pushing a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"What are you two, up to over there?" Pansy called, pulling the couple back to reality.

"Can you not leave each other alone for one night?" Ginny tutted, although her wide smile showed she approved of the couple getting lost in each other.

"Sorry, we'll try and behave," Hermione said, sharing an amused smile with Draco.

"Well, while we've got your attention let's order," Blaise said. "And don't forget the food arrives the same way as the drinks. Whatever you do don't have your hands on the place-mat in front of you. It is not funny to order a meal, only to have to appear right where your hand is."

"Happened to you, has it?" Harry asked with a laugh.

"I may have ended up with a hand full of lasagne one time," Blaise shrugged. "Of course it was a long time ago, and I'd never been before. I didn't know what to expect."

Laughing at Blaise, the group ordered their food and no disasters occurred as the steaming plates arrived on the table. As they ate, the group discussed various things. They talked about work, family, sport, and even shared a few funny stories from their pasts. Eventually talk returned to their children as Ginny began telling Pansy about the fancy dress party she was hoping to throw for James when he turned two.

"Can you believe she wants to throw a fancy dress party?" Harry grumbled as Ginny and Pansy talked excitedly.

"What's so bad about it, kids love to dress up," Draco shrugged. "Mia and Zara are always dressing up."

"It's not just for the kids. Ginny expects the adults to dress up as well," Harry explained, although he couldn't help but laugh at the outraged expression on Draco's face.

"That's just wrong," Draco grimaced. "Adults shouldn't dress up."

"I don't know, it could be fun," Hermione said with a smirk.

"Hermione's right. Pans and I aren't adverse to a bit of dressing up in the bedroom, it can be quite exhilarating," Blaise grinned.

"Dressing up in the bedroom is an entirely different prospect," Draco said, making a mental note to ask Hermione if she really was interested in dressing up.

"Anyway, enough of your kinks." Harry frowned at the two former Slytherins and his friend. "I've decided the easiest thing is to just shove a quidditch jersey on and say I'm a quidditch player. Plus that fits in perfectly with my present for James."

"What are you getting him?" Hermione asked. Last time she'd spoken to Ginny about James's birthday, the redhead seemed undecided about what to get him as a present.

"His first broom," Harry announced proudly. "I thought it was time he learnt to fly. Especially since I was deprived of teaching my goddaughter the same thing."

"Hey, that wasn't my fault," Hermione protested when Harry gave her a mock glare. "I didn't teach her how to fly, that was Lucius."

"Yes, but you wouldn't let me teach her, and you wouldn't let me buy her a broom. I specifically remember asking you before Christmas about buying her a broom, and you said no. Boxing Day then arrives and Zara's running around telling everyone about the broom she received off Mia's Grandpa Lu. See, the whole thing isn't fair." Harry finished his speech with a pout, causing everyone at the table to laugh at him.

"See Potter, you should have taken a leaf from my father's book. He just bought, he didn't ask," Draco said.

"Bloody Slytherins and their sneaky ways," Harry grumbled. "I knew I should have been a snake, then I would have thought of that."

"No offence Potter, but you would have made a lousy Slytherin," Blaise chuckled. "You've just got no sneak-ability about you."

"I have plenty," Harry retorted. "I'll prove it."

While Harry began to regale Blaise and Draco with tales of his sneak-ability back in school, Hermione turned her attention to Ginny and Pansy. Ignoring the boy's laughter and banter, the girls proceeded to hold their own conversation. Eventually the three couples had to call it a night and as they went their separate ways they promised to make their triple date a regular occurrence.

When Draco and Hermione arrived back at the manor, Lucius and Narcissa were still in the front room and after enquiring about their night they told them the girls were fine and were fast asleep in Mia's room. A quick check in Mia's room revealed that the two four year olds were sound asleep, and neither of them stirred as Draco and Hermione gave them a gentle kiss. Satisfied the girls were asleep, the couple retired to Draco's room where they made love before falling asleep wrapped in each others arms.

* * *

Evenings out with Pansy, Blaise, Ginny and Harry quickly became a regular occurrence for Draco and Hermione. Neville and Luna also joined the other three couples on occasion as did Fred and Alicia, and George and Angelina. Blaise and Pansy also began visiting The Burrow as everyone made an effort to get along. As spring turned into summer and the months rolled on, it was normal to find everyone gathering at either The Burrow or the manor. It also quickly became habit for the couple to spend every weekend together, some weeks Draco and Mia stayed at Hermione's house and other weeks Hermione and Zara visited the manor.

As the year passed, Draco and Hermione's relationship also continued to blossom, even though the couple had their first fight a few months after the first evening out with their friends. During one weekend at the manor, Hermione had gotten an urgent call from work and had to pop back to the office for an hour or so. Lucius and Narcissa had been away for the weekend, but Draco had insisted that he could look after the girl's fine. However when Hermione returned to the manor she found Mia and Zara flying around, all hyped up on sugar. Draco, being the soft touch he was with the girls, had allowed them to have jelly and ice-cream for their lunch, followed by an afternoon of sweets and fizzy drinks. Hermione had been annoyed that he'd allowed the two small girls to manipulate him so easily and after arguing over how irresponsible he'd been, she'd stomped off to his room, leaving him to deal with the two hyper four year olds.

Of course following their fight, came the make-up sex, which was every bit as fun as their friends had described. Since then the pair had bickered occasionally, but they'd never had a major disagreement. Hermione however was cautious of leaving Draco in charge of the girls feeding habits and if she did go out, she made him promise to feed them proper food. Of course Draco still indulged the girls more than Hermione would have, but he'd never let them only eat desserts again. Nowadays desserts were only allowed if the girls had eaten a savoury meal beforehand.

The couple had also spoken about moving in together. Their relationship was rapidly become increasingly serious and with the all the time they spent together, it made sense for them to live together. After a few weeks discussion, it was decided that Draco and Mia would move in with Hermione and Zara. Mia moved into Zara's room and bunk beds were added to the room, while all their toys were moved to the spare room to create a playroom. Of course, the couple talked about buying a new house that was their own, but they didn't want to overwhelm the girls, so for now they were happy to all live together in Hermione's house.


	12. Chapter 12

A couple of months after Draco and Mia had moved in with Hermione and Zara, the foursome had a nice quiet weekend planned when Hermione was called into the office to deal with an urgent case. Normally Hermione didn't work weekends, but the case was important and Draco had urged his girlfriend to go to work for a few hours. As he kept reassuring her, he was more than capable of looking after the girls for the day.

"Are you sure about this?" Hermione checked for the third time that morning as she grabbed her bag and prepared to leave for work.

"I'm positive," Draco told his girlfriend. "You go off to work, I've got everything under control here."

"And what exactly are you and the girl's going to do today?" Hermione asked.

"I've got a few ideas in the pipeline," Draco answered mysteriously. "Now stop worrying about us, and go."

Knowing she wasn't going to get any more information from her boyfriend about his plans, Hermione gave him a kiss and went over to where the girls were sitting with their dolls. Giving both Zara and Mia a kiss, she told them to be good before heading to the fire and flooing to the Ministry.

After Hermione had left, Draco tidied up the breakfast things before returning to the front room and calling for the girl's attention. Sitting both Mia and Zara on the sofa, he knelt in front of them and took a deep breath. What he was about to do would hopefully change everyone's lives and he wanted to get it right.

"I want to talk to you two about something very important," Draco said. "Can you be big girls and pay attention."

"Yes," Mia nodded solemnly.

"We're big girls," Zara confirmed.

"Good." Draco gave both girls a smile. "I want to ask you both something very important. How would you feel if I asked Zara's Mummy to marry me? That would mean we would all be one happy family."

Draco watched the girl's for their reaction, and they both smiled at the mention of being a family. However before they answered him they turned to each other and began whispering. Draco couldn't make out what they were saying, so he was just hoping it would be positive.

"If you and Mummy were married, would you be my Daddy?" Zara asked.

"Is that what you want?" Draco asked.

"Yes," Zara replied with a firm nod. "I want you to be my Daddy."

Draco looked at Zara in amazement. He was totally blown away that Hermione's little girl wanted him to be her Daddy.

"And could 'Mione be my Mummy?" Mia piped up.

"We'll have to ask her, but if she says yes, I see no reason why it can't happen," Draco replied.

"Yeah," Mia and Zara cheered together.

"Will Zara be my sister?" Mia asked Draco when the girls had stopped cheering.

"Yes," Draco nodded. "If Hermione wants to marry me, then we'll all be family."

"Can we go and ask Mummy now?" Zara asked Draco excitedly.

"We'll wait for her to come back," Draco said, smiling at the young girl. "But we want to do this right, don't we? Do you two think you can help me organise things?"

"Yes," Mia cried. "We want to help."

"Good. We have to go out, so I want you both to go to the bathroom and then grab your jackets and shoes."

Quick as a flash the girls had jumped up and went flying upstairs. When they returned they were both dragging their jackets behind them and were carrying their shoes. Sitting them back down, Draco ensured their shoes were on and they were neat and tidy. He then wrangled them into coats and grabbed his own jacket.

"We're going to travel be floo, so make sure you hold onto my hand tightly," Draco warned the girls as he walked towards the fire. "Now who wants to throw the powder?"

"Me," Zara yelled, jumping up and down.

"Okay Zara, you throw now and Mia you can throw when we're coming home," Draco announced.

Taking a tight hold of both Zara and Mia, Draco instructed Zara to grab some floo powder before they stepped into the fire. Making sure both girls were ready, he told Zara to throw the powder and he called out their destination, The Leaky Cauldron. When they arrived in the back room of the wizarding pub, Draco brushed Zara and Mia down and they exited the dark pub, heading for the sunny streets of Diagon Alley.

"Where are we going, Daddy?" Mia asked as the trio sauntered down the street.

"We're going to pick a ring," Draco answered. "You two can help with that, can't you?"

"Yes," Zara nodded. "We'll pick a nice ring for Mummy."

Draco smiled as he led the two girl's to the jewellers. He'd visited the shop earlier that week and picked out four rings he really liked. Draco had explained what he was doing to the jeweller and he told him that if everything went alright with the girls they would be in to look at the rings. The jeweller had been more than happy with the arrangement and promised to have the four rings displayed together, so the girls could help Draco choose a ring.

"Mr Malfoy," The jeweller, Mr Stubbs, greeted the blond when he walked in. "And these two lovely ladies must be your daughters."

"They are," Draco replied. "This is Mia and Zara."

"Miss Mia, Miss Zara." Stubbs smiled at the two small witches. "Are you here to pick a ring?"

"Yes," Zara answered. "We want a ring for my Mummy, so she can marry Draco and he can be my Daddy and she can be Mia's Mummy."

"I have four rings perfect for such an occasion," Stubbs replied. "I'll just go and get them, why don't you take a seat at the viewing table."

The jeweller pointed them towards a small table across the room, and Draco settled the girls into a couple of chairs. When Stubbs returned, he was carrying a small ring tray with the four rings laid out on it. Placing it on the table, he stood back while Draco and the girls looked at the rings.

For ten minutes Draco, Mia and Zara looked at the rings. Both girls studied the rings as though they were experts, and they both tried slipping them onto their little fingers. Draco, who really couldn't decide between the four rings, followed the girls lead and waited until they had a choice. All four rings were about the same price, and all four were delicate diamonds surrounded by smaller coloured stones. All four rings were very understated and sophisticated and Draco knew they were all perfect for Hermione.

"This one," Mia announced after a quiet conference with Zara. The ring the girl's had picked was a diamond set on a silver band, surrounded by small pink and purple stones.

Draco smiled at which ring they had chosen, he was guessing the coloured stones played a big part in their choice. Mia's favourite colour was pink, while Zara favoured purple. Draco considered the ring an excellent choice, as it represented both of the girls with the coloured stones.

"This one it is," Draco announced, handing the ring to the jeweller.

While Draco went and paid for the ring, Mia and Zara remained sitting at the small table. When he returned the pair were happily waiting for him, eager to see where they were going next.

"Now we have to go and get some flowers," Draco explained as they left the jewellers and began walking down the street. "Then I think we want some chocolates, and when we get back home we're going to organise a picnic."

After leaving the jewellers the trio headed for the confectioners, where Mia and Zara picked Hermione a box of chocolates in a heart shaped box. Draco also bought both girls a bag of their favourite sweets as a reward for helping him organise everything.

The next stop was the florist, where Draco purchased a bunch of red roses for Hermione. Mia and Zara were also looking at the flowers and Draco allowed them to pick a small bunch each for Hermione. As he predicated Zara's bunch of flowers contained purple and white flowers, while Mia's bunch was a varied shade of pink flowers.

With the ring, chocolates and flowers all purchased Draco took the girls back to The Leaky Cauldron. From there they flooed back home and Draco called for a couple of the house elves from the manor.

"Okay girls, you're in charge," Draco told Mia and Zara. "Tell Mitzee what you want on the picnic."

While the girls reeled off a picnic list, Draco spoke to another elf, Jacky, asking for help preparing the garden. When the girls had finished reeling off a list of food for Mitzee to arrange, Draco sent them into the garden with Jacky. While the girls were busy, Draco settled the three bunches of flowers in a sink full of water. He also placed the chocolates on the bench, and put the ring into the drawer. Draco then headed outside to help the girls and the elves finish the picnic and prepare for Hermione's homecoming.

* * *

When Hermione arrived home to find the house quiet, her eyes immediately fell to the sofa. A few weeks ago she'd gone shopping on a Saturday afternoon and when she'd returned home, she'd found Draco and the girls curled up asleep on the sofa. Draco insisted he hadn't been sleeping, he reckoned he was just lying with his eyes closed, but Hermione didn't believe him considering she'd been home for fifteen minutes before the blond woke up and realised she was home. However this time the sofa was empty.

Leaving her bag and her jacket in the front room, Hermione set off in search of Draco and the girls. The trio weren't in the kitchen but from the window, Hermione spotted them outside in the garden. Heading outside, Hermione was surprised to find a large blanket laid out on the lawn, with a picnic spread over it.

"What's going on here?" she called as she made her way over to where the trio were sitting.

"It's a picnic," Draco answered.

"I can see that." Hermione rolled her eyes at her boyfriend. "What's it in aid of?"

"We just wanted to treat you," Draco replied. "Didn't we girls?"

"Yes," Mia and Zara chorused together.

Hermione looked at the two girls suspiciously as she sat down. The pair of them were practically bouncing up and down with excitement. Something was going on, and she was determined to find out what. She was guessing that Draco had promised the girls something, and the picnic was his way of buttering her up.

"This is an interesting picnic," Hermione commented, as she looked at the spread for the first time. The picnic contained all of the girls favourite foods, meaning it was very sweet orientated.

"We did it," Zara grinned at her mother. "We told Mitzee what we wanted."

"Well it looks lovely," Hermione told the girls. "The pair of you make a very good picnic."

Zara and Mia preened at the compliment, before diving into the picnic. As they ate, Hermione waited for Draco to bring up the real reason for the picnic, but he never did. Instead they just enjoyed a lovely family picnic in the afternoon sun. It was only once the food had been finished, that Draco magically cleared the plates and Hermione spotted a basket behind him.

"What's in the basket?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know," Draco shrugged. "Girls, do you want to help me look in the basket and see what's inside?"

Giggling happily, Zara and Mia turned to the basket that was hidden behind Draco. Hermione watched as Draco and the girls whispered quietly to each other, before they all turned back to Hermione, with their hands hidden behind their backs.

"Okay, what is going on?" Hermione questioned.

"Are you ready girls?" Draco asked. Mia and Zara nodded in response. "Okay, on three. One, two, three."

"Surprise!" Mia and Zara shouted together as they both produced their small bouquets of flowers from behind their backs.

"Are those for me?" Hermione asked.

"Yes," Mia answered, handing Hermione her flowers.

Zara followed suit and handed Hermione her bouquet as well. Hermione smiled at the girls and gave them both a peck on the cheek as she thanked them. Beaming happily, Mia and Zara returned to sit beside Draco.

"I've got something for you as well," Draco told Hermione. Removing his hands from behind his back, he presented Hermione with his bunch of roses and the chocolates.

"Thank you," Hermione smiled. "But what have I done to deserve all this?"

"We just want to tell you that we love you," Draco replied.

"I love you three as well," Hermione said, touched by the lovely gesture from the trio.

Hermione carefully laid her three bouquets of flowers on the rug beside her and put her chocolates down next to them. She would have to get her flowers into a couple of vases soon, but they would be alright if she spent a bit longer outside.

"Open your chocolates now," Zara cried, realising that Hermione had placed the heart shaped box beside her flowers.

"But we've just had a picnic. I'll open them later," Hermione told her daughter.

"No, now," Zara insisted.

"Please," Mia begged.

"Okay, we can open the chocolates," Hermione conceded. Chances were the girls had picked the chocolates and wanted to try one.

As Hermione picked up the box she was aware of the girls watching her with glee. Puzzled by their eagerness for her to open the chocolates, Hermione looked up at Draco, but her boyfriend merely shrugged his shoulders and gave her his most innocent look. Now extremely curious to find out what was so special about the chocolates, Hermione untied the gold ribbon on the box and opened the lid. Letting out a surprised gasp, Hermione looked down at the box in awe. In the centre hole a chocolate had been removed, and in its place was a stunning diamond ring, surrounded by small pink and purple stones.

Hermione stared at the ring for several minutes, before looking up and finding three expectant faces watching her. Mia and Zara were practically bubbling with excitement, while Draco looked calm but Hermione could see the nervousness in his grey eyes.

"Hermione, will you marry me?" he asked, once he was sure he had her full attention.

"Of course I will," Hermione grinned.

Hermione acceptance was met by a flurry of activity. Draco leaned over and swept her up into a deep kiss, while Mia and Zara squealed excitedly. As the girls continued to celebrate, Draco took the ring from the chocolate box and slipped it on Hermione's finger.

"It's gorgeous," Hermione declared, looking down at the ring on her hand.

"I can't take all the credit, I had two magnificent little helpers," Draco said. "Mia and Zara helped plan the entire thing."

"They knew what you were doing," Hermione stated as events of the afternoon started to fall into place. That was why the two girls were so excited, they knew Draco was going to propose.

"Yes, I asked them if they were okay with it before doing anything. If they hadn't been ready, I would have waited," Draco explained.

"I'm guessing they liked the idea," Hermione said.

Draco laughed and tilted his head towards the two girls who were jumping up and down and hugging each other. "What do you think?"

"They do seem rather excited at the idea," Hermione smiled. She was thrilled the girls were both happy with events.

"They are," Draco said with a chuckle. "Girls, come here," he called over to Mia and Zara. The two girls happily returned to the rug and stood beside their parents.

"Are you both happy about this?" Hermione checked with the girls. She knew Draco hadn't lied to her, but she needed to hear the girls express their approval for herself.

"Yes," Zara beamed. "I'm getting a Daddy and a sister."

"What?" Hermione stared at her daughter in surprise.

"Draco is going to be my Daddy," Zara said. "You will let him, won't you?" she asked, suddenly looking unsure if her mother was going to stop her from calling Draco, Daddy.

"Is that what you want?" Hermione asked her daughter. "Do you want Draco to be your Daddy?"

"Yes," Zara replied eagerly.

"Is that okay with you?" Hermione turned to her boyfriend, wondering if gaining a second daughter would prove too much for him.

"Yeah," Draco grinned. "I was thrilled when she asked me this morning, I just wanted to make sure you were okay with it."

"If you two are happy, then I'm happy," Hermione replied.

"Yeah," Zara cried, running to Draco and wrapping her arms around him. "You're my Daddy now."

Hermione watched her daughter and fiancé embracing with a lump in her throat. Until she'd seen Zara acting so thrilled at gaining a father, she'd never thought about how much her daughter was missing out on.

"'Mione," Mia said quietly, drawing the brunette's attention away from Draco and Zara.

"Hey, sweetheart." Hermione smiled at the little girl as she settled herself on the rug beside her. "Are you alright?"

"Yes," Mia replied quietly. "Can I ask you a question?" she asked shyly.

"You can ask me whatever you want," Hermione told the young girl.

"Will you be my Mummy?" Mia asked hopefully.

"Oh Mia, I would love to," Hermione cried, scooping the four year old up into her arms.

"But will you please not leave me," Mia whispered.

"I will never leave you," Hermione promised as she held Mia tighter.

Mia's question had almost broken Hermione's heart, she'd sounded so scared that she would lose Hermione. Despite never mentioning Astoria it was clear Mia still remembered that she'd once had a Mummy who'd left her.

As Hermione hugged Mia, Zara broke away from Draco and made her way over to her mother. Zara snuggled into the hug and Hermione found herself holding both of the girls. Looking at a beaming Draco over the top of the girl's heads, Hermione felt a tear leak from her eye.

"Mummy, why are you crying?" Zara asked looking up at Hermione.

"Don't be sad," Mia said as she also looked up at Hermione.

"I'm not sad, these are happy tears," Hermione sniffed as she swiped at the rogue tears with the back of her hand.

"Why don't we take all this happiness inside?" Draco suggested. "We don't want the flowers dying, do we?"

Mia and Zara helped Hermione take the flowers into the house, while Draco gathered up the rug and made sure they hadn't forgot anything. By the time he entered the kitchen, Mia and Zara were both sitting at the kitchen table helping Hermione arrange her flowers into vases. Once the flowers were in vases, Hermione carried them into the front room and placed them on the fireplace.

For the rest of the afternoon, the foursome curled up on the sofa, watching films and eating Hermione's chocolates. When it was time for bed the girls headed off no bother and they got washed and into their pyjamas without a fight. As usual they got two stories, one from Draco and one from Hermione. When they said goodnight, both girls said goodnight to their Mummy and their Daddy, which made both Hermione and Draco smile.

"I have to say, I wasn't expecting all this when I returned from work," Hermione remarked as the couple settled back in the front room.

"Was it too much?" Draco queried, wondering if he'd gotten carried away. "I just wanted the girls to feel included, us getting married affects them just as much as it does us."

"No, it wasn't too much," Hermione reassured Draco. "The whole thing was amazing, and I'm pleased the girls were included. You're right, this is going to affect them and I want them involved in things as much as possible."

"I'm sure that'll not be a problem. They'll love helping to organise the wedding," Draco chuckled.

"They will," Hermione said. "Although I have to admit, I was taken by surprise by how eager the girls were for us to become a proper family."

"Tell me about it." Draco replied. "It practically the first thing they asked about. The whole Mummy, Daddy thing came entirely from them. I was just as shocked as you were."

"Had you not thought about that when you first decided to propose?" Hermione asked. "I know the girls helped you today, but you had to have had things in place before now."

"I'd definitely thought about it, I just didn't expect it to come from them. And I certainly didn't expect them to adjust so quickly," Draco answered. "I never for one minute thought that by the end of the day I would be Zara's Daddy."

Hermione had to chuckle at the huge grin on Draco's face as he referred to himself as Zara's Daddy. It was clear the blond was more than happy to take on the mantle of father to her young daughter.

"And what about you?" Draco asked his new fiancée. "How do you feel about being Mia's Mummy?"

"I'm honoured she asked me," Hermione replied. "And I promise I'm going to be the best mother she could ever hope for."

"You already are," Draco replied sincerely. "Since you've been in her life, Mia is so much happier. So am I. You and Zara mean the world to us, and we couldn't imagine life without you."

Hermione felt the tears well up at Draco's words. That was exactly how she felt about him and Mia, and she would always be grateful that they'd walked into their lives when they did. Now, they had the perfect family and nothing could ruin their happiness.


	13. Chapter 13

In the week following Draco and Hermione's engagement, they shared the happy news with their friends and family. Hermione's parents reacted the least positively, constantly inferring that the couple were moving too fast. However, both Draco and Hermione were aware their real problem lay with the fact Hermione had gotten involved with another wizard. Despite Hermione's insistence that she wasn't leaving the wizarding world, her parents had seemed to cling onto the hope that one day she would see sense and return to her life as a muggle, but her engagement to Draco proved once and for all that she was staying in the wizarding world.

Luckily Hermione's parent's reaction was the only negative one they received. Draco's parents were thrilled with the news and eagerly welcomed Hermione and Zara to the family. They even made sure Zara knew she could consider them her grandparents and call them Grandpa Lu and Nana Cissa. Their friends and the Weasley family were also really happy for the couple and the two excited little girls.

Once the excitement died down, Hermione and Draco managed to have a serious talk about the wedding. Since they'd only just moved in together and the proposal had happened in the middle of September, they decided to spend the rest of the year adjusting to becoming a family and they would then talk about the wedding in the New Year.

Despite Hermione and Draco deciding to wait until the New Year to discuss the wedding, it didn't stop their friends, Ginny in particular, stop mentioning it. One late October afternoon she'd popped round to Hermione's to discuss her and Harry's upcoming anniversary, but the conversation soon drifted to the wedding. Ginny was almost as excitable as the girls, and several times Hermione had to tell her to calm down.

When Ginny left to get home to her boys, Hermione headed into the front room to check on Mia and Zara. She'd kept an eye on them throughout the afternoon, but for the last ten minutes or so they'd been exceptionally quiet. When Hermione entered the front room, she was surprised to find Mia sitting on the sofa alone.

"Where's Zara?" Hermione questioned. She knew the wards around the house would have prevented her daughter from leaving the place, but she didn't like not knowing where she was.

"Upstairs," Mia answered sadly. "She was upset and wouldn't talk to me."

"You stay here, sweetheart, and I'm going to go and talk to your sister," Hermione told Mia. "I'll not be long."

Leaving Mia in the front room, Hermione headed upstairs to find her daughter. Zara was curled up on the bottom bunk of the bunk beds, and despite Hermione's best efforts she couldn't get her to open up and tell her what was wrong. Something was clearly bothering Zara, but she wasn't telling Hermione what it was. All Hermione could find out was that it wasn't anything to do with Mia, the girls hadn't been fighting like Hermione had feared. With Zara refusing to talk, Hermione headed back downstairs to check on Mia and wait for Draco to arrive.

It was nearly half an hour later that Draco arrived home from work. After greeting both Hermione and Mia, the first thing he asked was where Zara was.

"She's upstairs in her room," Hermione answered with a sigh. "Something's upset her, and she won't tell me what."

"Did something happen at school?" Draco asked. Both Mia and Zara had moved up to a more learning based experience the previous month, and he was worried in case they weren't adjusting.

"She was fine when we left school," Hermione answered. "I just came to check on the girls after Ginny left, and she was upstairs."

"Do you know what's wrong with Zara?" Draco asked his daughter. "Have you two being fighting?"

"No Daddy, I promise," Mia said. "We were playing dollies and Mummy and Aunt Ginny were in the kitchen. Zara went quiet and left me alone. Did I do something wrong?"

"No, sweetheart. You didn't do anything wrong," Hermione reassured Mia as she wrapped the young girl in her arms. "Whatevers upset Zara has nothing to do with you."

"Do you want me to go and try to speak to her?" Draco asked Hermione.

"Yes, but I'm warning you now, she was reluctant to talk," Hermione warned. "She's a stubborn little thing, if she's not ready to tell us what's wrong then she won't."

"I wonder where she gets her stubbornness from," Draco chuckled. Leaning over he gave Hermione a quick kiss, before heading off to speak to Zara.

Like Hermione had earlier, Draco found Zara curled up on her bed. Kneeling down beside the young girl's bed, he brushed her brunette curls away from her face.

"Hey, princess," he smiled. "What are you doing up here?"

"Nothing," Zara replied softly.

"Then what's with the long face?" Draco asked. "Why aren't you smiling?"

"I'm sad," Zara confided.

"Why are you sad?" Draco asked.

Instead of answering Zara stubbornly shook her head and refused to speak.

"Will you tell me if I guess?" Draco asked. Zara nodded, so Draco began trying to think of reasons she was upset. "This is tough," he sighed after ten minutes. He'd established that nothing had happened at school, and that she hadn't had a fight with Mia or being told off by Hermione. "Do I get a clue?"

"No."

"Okay. Did Aunt Ginny upset you?" he guessed. By this point he was getting desperate and he'd only mentioned Ginny because he knew she was the only other person Zara had seen, what he didn't expect was for Zara to nod. "How did Aunt Ginny upset you?" he asked gently.

"She was talking to Mummy," Zara whispered.

"Why did that upset you?" Draco asked, leaning closer so he could hear Zara.

"She said Mummy would soon be a Malfoy," Zara confessed in a broken voice, sounding as though she was on the verge of tears. "You're a Malfoy, and Mia's a Malfoy. But if Mummy's also a Malfoy, I'll be all alone. I don't want to be alone."

"Oh, Zara." Draco stood up and manoeuvred himself on the bottom bunk with Zara, pulling the little girl into his arms as she began to cry. "You'll never be alone. We're all family, and we love you."

"I want to be a Malfoy as well," Zara sobbed softly. "Please don't leave me out."

"If that's what you want, I'm sure we can talk to Mummy and make it happen," Draco soothed his daughter.

"Really?" Zara looked up at Draco with tear filled eyes, which were now brimming with hope.

"Really." Draco nodded. "If you want to be a Malfoy, we'll make you a Malfoy."

"Thank you Daddy, I love you," Zara cried, snuggling into Draco.

"I love you too, princess," Draco said, kissing the top of Zara's head.

Draco continued to hug Zara until she was fully calmed down. Once she was back to normal, he took her to the bathroom to wash her face. The pair then made their way downstairs, to talk to Hermione about what had been bothering Zara.

"Are you okay, sweetheart?" Hermione asked when she saw her daughter.

"Yes," Zara answered. "Daddy fixed it."

"Did he now?" Hermione smiled at Zara, before mouthing a thank you to Draco. "Now why don't you go and play with Mia, before dinner's ready."

Zara turned to look at Draco, unsure if she should go. "Go on," he told the young witch. "We can talk to Mummy after dinner."

"Talk to me about what?" Hermione asked, as Zara rushed over to Mia and embraced her sister, before they settled down to play.

"The reason Zara was upset," Draco answered as the couple headed into the kitchen. "It turns out she overheard you and Ginny talking about you becoming a Malfoy."

"And that upset her?" Hermione frowned.

"Yes, she didn't want to be left out," Draco said. "She wants to be a Malfoy as well."

"Of course," Hermione tutted, annoyed that she didn't work out what was wrong with Zara earlier. "If I'm a Malfoy, she'll be a Granger by herself."

"Exactly," Draco replied with a nod. "I think she was worried that if she wasn't a Malfoy, she wouldn't be part of the family."

"So, what are we going to do about it?" Hermione questioned.

"We could legally change her name," Draco said.

"Or you could adopt her," Hermione suggested tentatively. She'd been thinking about it a lot since the engagement, but she hadn't wanted Draco to think she was pressuring him into adopting her daughter.

"There's nothing I would like more," Draco replied with a wide smile. "But what about her father? I know you said he's never had any contact with her, but will we need his permission?"

"I'm not sure," Hermione replied with a frown. Even though she was technically a lawyer, she had no idea about family law, her speciality was prosecuting criminals. "He isn't named on the birth certificate, I don't know if that makes a difference."

"I'll speak to Blaise, he'll know," Draco said. "I could also ask him about you adopting Mia if you would like. I don't know what the situation with Astoria would be like, but it's definitely something we should look into. Unless, of course you don't want to adopt Mia."

"I would love to adopt Mia," Hermione replied. "I think we need to speak to Blaise and find out where we stand."

"I'll go and give him a call," Draco said. "He might be able to see us tomorrow."

While Draco headed off to floo Blaise, Hermione set about making dinner. When he returned, he said that Blaise could squeeze them in the following day at lunchtime. Making arrangements to meet up in Hermione's lunch hour, the couple finished off dinner and called the girls into the kitchen to eat. Once dinner was over they all retired to the front room, for a serious talk. Mia and Zara settled in between their parents as they all sat down on the sofa.

"Your Daddy told me why you were upset," Hermione told Zara. "And that you want to be a Malfoy."

"I do," Zara announced solemnly. "Like Daddy, and Mia and you."

"I'm not a Malfoy yet, darling," Hermione pointed out. "I won't be until we get married."

"When are you getting married?" Zara questioned. "Is it soon?"

"We haven't decided yet," Draco answered. "But it'll be a few months before we do get married. We all need to get used to living together first."

"But I want to be a Malfoy now," Zara pouted. "Daddy promised."

"I tell you what we're going to do," Hermione said to her daughter. "Tomorrow your Daddy and I are going to see your Uncle Blaise. He's a very clever man, and he's going to help us make sure you become a Malfoy."

"When will that be?" Zara asked with a pout. "I want to be one now, today."

"All you have to do is wait one more day," Draco said softly, smiling at the pouting little girl. "Everything should be sorted by tomorrow."

"Then I can be a Malfoy?" Zara checked.

"Yes, then you can be a Malfoy," Hermione promised. Even if there was going to be problems with Draco adopting Zara, Hermione still planned on changing her daughter's name to Malfoy. "But you'll be leaving me as the lone Granger in the family," she added with a fake pout.

"Don't worry, you're still Mummy," Zara said, snuggling into her mother's side.

"And you'll be a Malfoy soon enough," Draco pointed out.

"We haven't even set the date," Hermione replied. "We agreed to wait until the New Year before discussing the wedding."

"We could always set a time-frame for the wedding," Draco suggested. "How about next summer. We can decide that now, but wait until the New Year to really start planning and set a proper date. Besides, summer covers a vast range of months."

"What do you girls think?" Hermione asked their daughters. "Do you want to be bridesmaids next summer?"

"Yes!" Mia and Zara chorused together.

"Next summer it is," Hermione smiled across at Draco.

"Great," Draco grinned happily as the family settled down to spend the evening together.

* * *

The following lunch time Draco picked Hermione up from the Ministry and the couple headed to Blaise's office. Blaise was waiting for them, where he ushered them into one of the conference rooms where he'd organised some lunch to be served as they talked.

"You really didn't have to go to so much trouble, Blaise," Hermione said as she sat down.

"It's not trouble," Blaise replied as he took his own seat. "I just didn't want to miss lunch. You may be my friends, but I still need to eat."

Draco and Hermione chuckled at Blaise as they grabbed some food and a drink, before they got down to the reason they were there.

"We'll start with Zara," Blaise said, after devouring a sandwich and taking a drink of his coffee. "Draco adopting her should be very straightforward. Her father isn't named on the birth certificate, and since he's had no contact with her or provided for her, he doesn't need to be informed of the adoption. I can set the wheels in motion today, and by New Year all the paperwork should be complete."

"That's great," Draco said with a relieved smile. "Let's just hope things run as smoothly with Mia.

"That'll be a no," Blaise admitted with a sigh. "You may have custody, but Astoria is still her mother. Hermione won't be able to adopt Mia without gaining permission from Astoria."

"That won't happen," Draco grumbled in dismay. "I have no idea where she is, and her parents wouldn't tell me. Since she left, they haven't even made an effort to see Mia."

"Could we not track her down through her solicitor?" Hermione questioned. "Surely if we approached him, he could pass the message along."

"He could," Blaise agreed. "But Astoria still has to agree."

"Which she won't," Draco said bitterly. "If she finds out Hermione wants to adopt Mia, she'll refuse just to be awkward. There's no way she'll agree to anything that would make our lives easier."

"I have to agree with Draco on this one," Blaise said. "Astoria is a spiteful cow. She'll block the adoption just because she can."

"Then we don't do it," Hermione said quietly. "I would love to adopt Mia, but we're not going to do it if it's going to cause problems. You never know, finding out another woman is trying to adopt her daughter might make her come back and fight for her."

"She wouldn't do that," Draco replied confidently, before turning to Blaise for reassurance. "Would she?"

"I don't know, she's petty enough," Blaise mused thoughtfully.

"Then we drop the idea," Draco insisted firmly. "I'm not risking letting that woman back into my daughter's life. I'm sorry Hermione, I know this is what we both wanted, but I can't risk Astoria coming back."

"I understand," Hermione reassured Draco as she took hold of his hand. "A bit of paper doesn't mean anything. Whether I officially adopt her or not, Mia is still my daughter. Nothing can change the fact I love her."

"I guess you're right," Draco replied with a sigh. "I just wish things had been different."

"It won't change anything, Draco," Hermione said. "We're still going to be a family. And Zara can become a Malfoy whenever she wants."

"I can sort the paperwork for a legal name change," Blaise said. "You won't have to wait for the adoption papers to come through, as her mother you have every right to change her name."

"At least that's something," Draco said with a smile. He knew changing Zara's name was the most important thing, as that was what had started the ball rolling on the adoption idea.

After talking things through a bit more with Blaise and signing the paperwork that needed signing, Draco and Hermione thanked their friend before leaving his office. Vowing not to let the disappointment with Mia affect them, Draco and Hermione said their goodbyes and headed back to their respective offices. Things may not have gone as they'd hoped in regards to Hermione adopting Mia, but they were still a family and that was the most important thing.


	14. Chapter 14

Despite their disappointment regarding Mia's adoption, Hermione and Draco didn't let it affect their family. After all, Hermione loved Mia and treated her as her own, without needing papers to prove she was now her mother. As for Zara she was informed of her name change, and she immediately started using the name Malfoy. Mia was just as thrilled with Zara's name change, and the two little girls loved the fact they were now both called Malfoy. All that was missing was Hermione officially becoming a Malfoy, but that would happen in the summer.

However, before the family could even think about the wedding, they had Christmas to celebrate first. Hermione started making plans in November as she wanted their first Christmas as a family to be special. Of course, Draco and Hermione had been together the previous Christmas, but this year was different. They now all lived together, and they were a family rather than a couple who happened to both have children.

Since things were now different in their relationship, Draco and Hermione sat down and made Christmas lists for the girls. No longer would Draco be buying for Mia, while Hermione bought for Zara, and each of them giving the other child a token gift. Now all their presents would be bought together, and they'd be from the girls' Mummy and Daddy. Unsurprisingly Draco didn't just stick to the Christmas list and a couple of times he came home with extra presents for the girls. Even though Hermione suspected both girls were going to end up spoiled on Christmas day she didn't object as it was a special occasion – their first Christmas as a proper family.

The first weekend of December, the family went out and bought a brand new tree and new decorations. They then spent the rest of the weekend decorating the tree and making the front room look all festive. By the time the presents were under the tree, the small family were looking forward to their first Christmas together. It would be Zara's first Christmas with a Daddy, and even though Mia had experienced a couple of Christmases with Astoria, it would be her first Christmas with Hermione as her Mummy, and according to Draco it would be nothing like the Christmases she'd experienced with Astoria as her biological mother hadn't exactly been very maternal.

On Christmas morning Draco and Hermione were awoken by Mia and Zara running into their bedroom first thing in the morning. When Draco cracked his eyes open and saw the time on the clock beside the bed, he groaned. It was just past six o'clock, and in his opinion it was too early to be getting up. However, he could remember what Christmas was like as a child and when you were four years old it was never too early to get up and open your presents.

"Mummy, Daddy, get up," Mia cried. "Santa will have been."

Even though Santa Clause was a muggle thing, it had seeped into the wizarding world and Mia knew all about Father Christmas before Hermione and Zara entered her life. Draco had decided to tell Mia about Santa Clause because he thought it added a bit more wonder to Christmas. When he was a child he knew all the presents he received were from his parents and in his eyes Christmas was just a day where he was spoiled even more than he was the rest of the year. Mia, however, believed in Santa and she knew that in order to get presents she would have to behave for the entire year.

"It's too early for Santa to have been," Hermione grumbled. "Get into bed and we can sleep for a while longer."

"No." Zara stubbornly shook her little head. "Santa's already been. We heard his bells ages ago."

"Bells?" Draco asked, looking at Hermione who looked as baffled as he was.

"Santa's bells, from his sleigh," Mia explained, looking at her father as though he should automatically understand. "We heard them when it was still dark and we shut our eyes and went to sleep so he would leave the presents."

"Did you make the bell noises?" Draco whispered to Hermione, wondering if his fiancée was just humouring the two girls and trying to make their Christmas special.

"No," Hermione whispered back. "But when I was little I used to think I could hear bells on Christmas Eve. I was just so excited I imagined hearing things, the girls have probably done the same thing."

"Can we get up, please?" Zara pleaded, interrupting the whispered conversation between Draco and Hermione.

"Pretty please with a cherry on top," Mia added, offering the two adults a sweet smile.

"It's not as if you're going to go back to bed anyway, so we might as well get up," Hermione said, throwing back the covers of the bed. "But before we go downstairs I want the pair of you to go and put your slippers and dressing gowns on."

Jumping off the bed, Mia and Zara flew out of their parents' bedroom, leaving Hermione and Draco to drag themselves out of bed. Once the pair were up, they headed out onto the landing and Mia and Zara appeared a few seconds later. Considering both girls were wearing big floppy novelty rabbit slippers, Draco and Hermione each took hold of their hands, making sure they took their time going down the stairs.

"Wow," Zara cried when they entered the front room and found presents stacked all around the tree.

"I'm going to go and make some coffee," Hermione said to Draco. "Girls, don't open anything until I get back."

"Can we look?" Mia asked.

"You can look," Hermione replied as the two girls set off towards the tree.

While Hermione was making coffee, Draco settled down on the sofa while Mia and Zara crowded around the tree to look at the presents underneath it. A few minutes later Hermione returned with coffee for her and Draco and some juice for the girls.

"Does anyone want any breakfast before we open presents?" Hermione asked, placing the drinks on the table.

"Presents first," Zara answered.

"Okay," Hermione replied as she dragged Draco off the sofa and the pair of them settled down with the girls in front of the tree.

For the next couple of hours the four of them sat in front of the tree opening their presents. Mia and Zara opened dozens of gifts each, ranging from toys and things to play with to more practical things like clothes. Hermione and Draco also opened a few presents from each other and from the girls. Both Draco and Hermione received clothes in their present selection, alongside jewellery for Hermione, books for both of them and a new watch for Draco.

"Daddy, this one is for you," Mia said, handing Draco the last present under the tree. "But it's not from Santa."

"It's from me and Mia," Zara added.

Draco smiled at the two girls as he ripped open the paper on his gift. Tossing the wrapping paper to one side he found himself holding onto a frame. Turning it around, Draco grinned as he saw the front of the frame. The frame was a silver affair with the word 'Daddy' written across the top in blue glitter. Inside the frame was a picture of a smiling Draco with his arms wrapped around both Mia and Zara while they waved at the camera as they sat on his knee.

"It's great," Draco said, happily beaming at the two girls as he swept them up in a big hug. "This is just what my desk needs at work. A reminder of my two favourite little girls."

"We picked it ourselves," Mia beamed proudly.

"They did," Hermione said. "When we were out shopping they spotted it and asked if they could buy it for you."

"I'm very pleased you did, it's the best present ever," Draco told Mia and Zara, before he let them go and they returned to study their own presents.

While Mia and Zara began to play with their new toys, Draco placed his new frame on the mantelpiece where everyone could see it. Hermione chuckled at the proud way in which Draco was looking at the frame before she headed off to make some breakfast.

Once breakfast was finished, everyone headed upstairs to get dressed. Draco then settled in the front room with the girls while Hermione got started on Christmas lunch. There would only be the four of them for lunch, but later that afternoon Lucius and Narcissa would be popping round. On Boxing Day they would be heading to The Burrow, and they'd briefly seen Hermione's parents the previous day. Hermione's parents still weren't over keen on Hermione marrying Draco, but they at least made the effort to be polite to him and they were trying their best to accept Mia as part of the family. However the whole thing had been uncomfortable and Hermione was pleased that there would be no such discomfort when Lucius and Narcissa arrived later that afternoon.

Once lunch was all prepared and she had everything cooking, Hermione returned to the front room where she settled down next to Draco and watched the girls play with their new toys. The family spent a fun Christmas morning playing with Mia and Zara's presents, before they settled down for a delicious Christmas lunch, complete with crackers and brightly coloured paper hats.

"My hat's too big," Mia complained as her orange hat fell in her eyes yet again.

"I'll fix it," Draco said, whipping out his wand and re-sizing the hat so it sat perfectly on Mia's head. He then did the same for Zara so the two girls could eat their lunch without their hats falling into their eyes.

Once lunch was over, Hermione quickly did the dishes using magic before the fun of playing with new toys was resumed. About an hour after lunch, Lucius and Narcissa turned up with two big sacks full of presents. After greeting everyone they gave one sack to Mia and one sack to Zara.

"Santa left these at our house, but I think they belong to you," Narcissa said with a smile.

"They do, look," Zara cried, pointing to the names on the sacks. "Mia and Zara."

"You best get opening them then," Lucius said as he took his seat to watch the two girls open their presents.

While Mia and Zara were tearing into their presents from Lucius and Narcissa, Narcissa pulled out presents for Hermione and Draco. Draco and Hermione opened their presents and thanked Lucius and Narcissa before handing over the presents they had gotten for Draco's parents. Draco then jumped up and grabbed his frame to show his parents.

"Look what my girls got me," he grinned, handing the frame to his mother.

"It's lovely," Narcissa replied, chuckling at the pride in Draco's voice. Even though Zara now called him Daddy, she knew that the frame was a big deal for her son. It truly showed that Zara thought of him as her father and that he now had two daughters.

Once Draco had shown Lucius the frame it took pride of place back on the mantelpiece and attention was returned to the girls and making sure they had a great day. After a few hours of playing all sorts of games, Hermione persuaded the girls to do something more relaxing like colouring in. When the girls settled down to use some of their new art supplies, Hermione headed off into the kitchen to prepare a bit of food and drink for people. There was still plenty of turkey left over from dinner so she planned on making a big plate of turkey sandwiches for people to tuck into.

Hermione had only just started to make the sandwiches when Lucius entered the kitchen. At first Hermione thought her future father-in-law was looking for something, but it soon became clear he wanted to talk to her.

"I want to thank you," Lucius began quietly.

"What for?" Hermione frowned. "I'm only making turkey sandwiches."

"I'm not talking about the food, I'm talking about Draco and Mia," Lucius said. "Thank you for giving them what they both truly deserve, a loving family. Astoria couldn't be the wife Draco needed, and she certainly wasn't the mother Mia deserved, but luckily they found you."

"It works both ways," Hermione said, pausing in her sandwich making and turning to Lucius. "Draco has done the same for us. I've now got someone in my life who loves me and Zara has a wonderful father."

"I'm pleased you've found each other," Lucius said. "I was worried I'd ruined Draco's life when he married Astoria, but luckily things have worked out."

"Why do you hold yourself responsible for Draco marrying Astoria?" Hermione frowned. "Draco told me all about her and I know for a fact that you were against him marrying her."

"I was, but I'm afraid I pushed too hard and he married her as an act of rebellion," Lucius sighed. "I've always thought that if I hadn't been so opposed to the union that Draco would have woken up to her sooner and saw her for what she was truly like."

"How did you know what she was really like?" Hermione asked. She was genuinely curious as to why everyone else could see Astoria's true colours yet Draco had been oblivious to what she was really like.

"I knew Astoria's mother, back when we were teenagers," Lucius replied. "She was exactly the same as Astoria, out for what she could get. She propositioned me many a time, but I wasn't foolish enough to fall for her charms. I knew all she would be was a trophy wife, someone to spend my money and look attractive. I didn't want that, I wanted a partner who was my equal and was with me because she wanted to be with me, not because I happened to be a Malfoy, therefore I was rich and powerful."

"And you thought Astoria was the same," Hermione concluded.

"I did," Lucius confirmed with a nod. "I knew all she was marrying Draco for was the money and prestige of being a Malfoy."

"If that's all she married him for, then why did she leave?" Hermione questioned. "Draco doesn't talk much about the divorce, but I do know she left without receiving a big pay-off."

"Before they married, I made her sign a prenuptial agreement," Lucius confessed. "In the case of a divorce, Astoria got nothing more than what she entered the marriage with. I wasn't going to have her walk away with half the family's fortune. She would have known there was no point trying to get anything out of Draco, so there was no point in her sticking around."

"Is this why you've come to speak to me?" Hermione asked curiously. "Are you worried I'll do the same as Astoria? Do you want me to sign a prenuptial agreement? Because I will if that's what you need to prove that I love Draco and would never hurt him."

Lucius immediately shook his head. "No, that's not what I wanted. I just came to thank you for loving Draco and Mia. I don't need you to sign a prenuptial agreement because I know it won't be necessary. You're not with Draco because of his wealth, you're with him because you genuinely love him."

"I do," Hermione agreed. "And I would never hurt him like Astoria, I promise."

Lucius nodded, already knowing that Hermione was nothing like his previous daughter-in-law. "Let's get on with these sandwiches, before someone comes in thinking we've gotten lost."

Returning to her previous task, Hermione finished off the sandwiches while Lucius grabbed some drinks. The pair then returned to the front room where they proceeded to spend the rest of the day celebrating Christmas as a family.

* * *

After a perfect family Christmas, Draco and Hermione celebrated New Year with their friends. Lucius and Narcissa had the girls for the evening, while their other friends also got their parents to babysit for them. Blaise had organised for the group to rent a yacht on the river, complete with food and drink. The evening was a roaring success, and come midnight everyone was on the deck of the yacht as they watched fireworks exploding over the capital to welcome in the New Year.

"This is going to be our year," Draco said to Hermione as the pair stood wrapped in each other's arms, watching the fireworks.

"I can't wait," Hermione replied, smiling up at her fiancé. "Just think, this time next year we'll be celebrating New Year as a married couple."

Draco returned Hermione's smile before connecting their lips. As the fireworks went off around them and their friends celebrated, Draco and Hermione were lost in each other. The last year had been great for the couple, but they were hoping the year ahead would be even better. However what they didn't know was as they were celebrating New Year was that a blast from the past was winging their way back to the country and the life they'd built together over the past few years was about to be several tested. The year ahead was going to be anything but smooth sailing for Hermione, Draco and their family.

* * *

 **A/N – This is the end of part one, and next week part two begins. I want to thank people for reading, and I especially want to thank people for their lovely reviews. I'm so pleased that people are enjoying this story as I know that so far it's been drama free and very fluffy. I just hope that people continue to like the story and enjoy part two as much as they've enjoyed part one.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Part Two - Blast from the Past.**

The bitter January wind whipped around Astoria Greengrass as she stood looking up at the sleek office building her former husband owned. Even though she'd been preparing to face her ex-husband since she arrived back in the country a little over a week ago, Astoria was still nervous about the confrontation ahead. Draco could be prickly at the best of times, and she hardly doubted he would welcome her with open arms given the ways things ended between them.

"Such a shame," she muttered to herself. "We could have been so good together."

Even now, two years after she'd left him, Astoria genuinely believed that if things had been different, her marriage would have survived. If only she hadn't fallen pregnant when she had, and if only Draco hadn't been there when she discovered the pregnancy, things would have been so different. They would have gotten through whatever troubles they'd been going though at the time, and they could have started a family when Astoria was ready. Instead motherhood had been forced upon her before she was ready, and she hadn't been able to cope, so everything had fallen apart.

However, that was over two years ago, and things had changed a lot since then. More importantly Astoria had changed. She was no longer in such a fragile state of mind, like she had been when she disappeared from her husband and daughter's lives. She was stronger now, and she would fight for what she wanted. Draco wouldn't be able to walk all over her and drive her away. She was here to get what she wanted, and she would succeed. After all, she'd achieved everything else she'd set out to achieve in life, including snagging the rich and handsome Draco Malfoy as a husband in the first place.

Getting married to Draco had been Astoria's goal for as long as she could remember. Even in school she'd been dazzled by the blond boy a few years her senior, but he'd failed to look in her direction despite being friends with her sister. However, she'd gotten the opportunity to grab his attention at Daphne's leaving party, and grab it she did. Astoria hadn't doubted that Daphne would have filled Draco's head with stories about what a bitch she was, so she'd set out to show Draco a different side of her. She'd hidden a lot of her true colours from Draco, and won him over playing sweet and innocent.

To be honest Astoria had been surprised the ploy worked so well on someone as smart as Draco, but she couldn't really take all the credit for him falling for her act. As good of an act as it was, she hadn't doubt he would eventually see through it. However, he'd been blinded for that bit longer as he'd been rebelling against people warning him off her. The more people tried to warn him off her, the more he'd spent time with her. Astoria had used that to her advantage and before she'd even left Hogwarts, Draco had asked her to move in with him. From there it didn't take her long to get him to propose, and rush him up the aisle before he could come to his senses.

Unfortunately for Astoria, Draco's father wasn't quite the fool his son had been. Lucius had been on the ball and he forced her to sign a prenuptial agreement before the wedding. At the time Astoria hadn't been too concerned as she's figured she would tell Draco at a later point and he would get rid of it since he loved her so much. Ironically she never get around to mentioning the agreement when things were good between them as she had no plans on leaving Draco and his money. It was only when things started to go wrong that Astoria remembered the agreement, and by then she knew if she mentioned it to Draco he wouldn't be interested in getting rid of it. Instead Astoria had been satisfied in the knowledge that she was never going to leave Draco, so the prenuptial agreement didn't matter.

However, all that had changed when Mia was born. Motherhood was a totally alien concept to Astoria, and although everyone assured her she would grow into the role, it never happened. She failed to bond with Mia, and she began resenting her daughter for the attention she received from Draco. The second Mia entered the world, it was as though Astoria ceased to exist in Draco's eyes. The only person that mattered to him was Mia, and it was clear the little girl was the centre of his universe.

Between the neglect from Draco and the failure to adapt to motherhood, Astoria had taken every opportunity to distance herself from the Malfoys. Most days she would drop Mia off with Narcissa and spend some quality time doing what she did best, shopping and pampering herself. It was during her alone time that Astoria had started indulging in extra marital affairs. Initially they were just about the sex, usually with hot men after an afternoon quickie looking to escape their wives or their boring job. Then she met an older wizard, a few years older than Draco, and he had something the other men she'd had flings with couldn't offer her. He had money of his own, not as much to rival the Malfoys, but enough to keep her in the lavish lifestyle she'd become accustomed to. Plus he wasn't as stingy as Draco, and he'd been more than happy to flash the cash where Astoria had been concerned.

Astoria hadn't thought twice about leaving Draco and Mia when her lover suggested they run off together. Leaving her husband and daughter behind had been a cinch for Astoria, and she didn't even regret it when less than three months later she split from her lover. Instead she'd revelled in her new-found freedom as she'd moved to mainland Europe. Shortly after that she'd met someone else and settled down, and for the last eighteen months she'd been especially happy. Her new partner wasn't as rich as Draco, but he was much more generous with his cash, and Astoria wanted for nothing. Unfortunately, their perfect lives had hit a road bump recently, and they'd returned to England to try and get things back on track.

Astoria was now about to take the first step in getting things sorted as she prepared to visit her former husband for the first time in over two years. Biting back her nerves, she pulled her fur-lined coat tighter around herself as she confidently entered the building where the Malfoy family company had their headquarters. Luckily for Astoria the two witches manning the main reception area were both dealing with people as she entered the building, meaning she was able to slip past them and dodge into the lifts that led up to the top floor, where Draco's office was located.

It was when she alighted on the top floor that Astoria ran into a slight problem. Draco's long term assistant, an older witch named Karen, was sitting at her desk and she jumped to her feet the second she spotted Astoria. The pair had clashed several times in the years Astoria had been married to Draco, and judging from the hateful glare Karen was throwing her way, the older witch still hated her guts. Astoria thought it was because she was younger and more attractive than Karen, plus the older witch didn't stand a chance with a wizard like Draco.

"I'm here to see Draco," Astoria announced, striding past Karen and heading towards Draco's door.

"Mr Malfoy, isn't here," Karen insisted as he tried to block Astoria's path. "And even if he was, he wouldn't want to see you."

"Tough, I want to see him. I'll wait in his office," Astoria replied, roughly shoving the older witch out of the way as she sauntered into Draco's office and slammed the door behind her.

Astoria vaguely heard Karen loudly cursing her through the door, but she ignored the woman and made her way over to Draco's desk. Sinking down in his large, comfortable black chair, she studied the room to see if it looked any different. After a few minutes she decided the room was practically the same. The only difference she could find was a silver frame on Draco's desk. The word 'Daddy' was written in blue glitter at the top of the frame and Astoria winced at the tackiness of it as she picked it up to study.

She'd expected the frame to contain a picture of Draco and Mia, which it did, but there was also another girl on the picture. A young girl who looked about Mia's age with curly brunette hair and a cheeky smile. Astoria gazed at the picture, watching as the trio grinned and waved happily at the camera. Draco seemed just as enamoured with the little brunette girl as he was with Mia, and Astoria wondered who she was. If she'd been younger, she would have thought he'd moved on and had another child, but it was clear the girl in the picture was more than two years old, meaning she couldn't be Draco's. Draco was many things, but a cheat wasn't one of them. Astoria knew he'd never cheated on her during their marriage, even when they'd gone months without sex. Whoever the girl in the picture was, she wasn't a Malfoy. That much Astoria did know.

Setting the frame back down on the desk, Astoria settled back in Draco's chair and prepared to wait for her former husband. Like it or not, Draco was about to get a blast from his past.

* * *

Draco returned to his office with a spring in his step. He'd just had lunch with Hermione, and they'd started to talk about planning their wedding for the summer. Now Christmas and New Year were out of the way, there was nothing to stop them from focusing all their attention on the wedding. Even though Draco had been married before, he knew this time was different. This time he was marrying the witch he was going to spend the rest of his life with.

Draco was so caught up in the excitement of finally being able to start planning the wedding that he didn't hear his assistant, Karen, trying to get his attention as he breezed through to his office. It was only when he opened the office doors and found his ex-wife sitting behind his desk as though she belonged there, that Draco registered Karen's presence at his side.

"I'm so sorry. I tried to stop her, but she just barged in," Karen said, shooting Astoria a withering glare. "She wouldn't leave, even though I told her you wouldn't want her here."

"It's alright, it's not your fault," Draco said, still reeling from finding Astoria in his office. Just when everything was looking rosy, she had to turn up like a bad smell to put a dampener on things. "I'll handle her, you just go back to work."

Karen nodded, before giving Astoria one final glare as she turned around and exited the office. Left alone, Draco turned his attention back to his ex-wife. Astoria still hadn't moved and was sitting happily behind his desk. Draco raked his eyes over his ex-wife and admitted she looked good, although in his opinion she didn't hold a candle to Hermione.

"What do you want Astoria?" he snapped, moving from beside the door and marching over to his desk.

"What, no hello?" Astoria questioned as she rose from Draco's chair.

"Is that really appropriate given that you never said goodbye to me?" Draco shot back.

"That was two years ago Draco," Astoria said with a roll of her eyes. "You shouldn't hold grudges."

"I'm not holding any grudges," Draco spat. "I'll repeat, what do you want?"

"I would have thought that would have been obvious," Astoria said, moving round the desk so she was standing directly in front of Draco. "I want my daughter."

Draco looked at Astoria as though she was mad before shaking his head and letting out a sharp bark of humourless laughter. "You mean the daughter you walked away from without a second glance? The daughter you abandoned two years ago without an explanation. I don't think so. You're going nowhere near my daughter."

"I have rights, Draco," Astoria said calmly.

"You have no rights," Draco yelled. "You forfeited your rights when you walked out and left her."

"That's not what my lawyer says," Astoria remarked with a casual shrug of her shoulder. "I'm Mia's mother, and as such I have rights."

"Well I have custody, and I say you're not seeing her," Draco said forcefully.

"I don't just want to see her Draco," Astoria said, smiling coldly at the angry blond wizard. "I want custody of her. I'm going to get my little girl back, and we're going to live happily ever after."

"Over my dead body," Draco hissed, slamming his hand down on his desk. "Mia is my daughter, and she's not going anywhere."

"I rather think she is," Astoria smirked, refusing to react to Draco's hostility. "I'm going to get her back Draco, just you watch. No-one is going to stop me from getting my daughter back."

"You're mad if you honestly think I'm going to hand Mia over to you," Draco spat. "You've practically ignored her from birth. Not only were you a terrible mother when you were around, but you then just abandoned her. I'm not going to let you ruin the rest of her life. She's better off without you, and I'm going to make sure that you stay away from her."

Astoria merely chuckled in response to Draco's words. "Fight all you want, Draco. The simple fact remains, she's my daughter and I have rights. I will get my daughter back, whatever it takes. This is just a friendly warning. Enjoy the time you have left, soon Mia will be where she belongs. With her mother."

"No-one deserves to be with you," Draco retorted. "And I will not let that happen to my daughter. If you want a fight Astoria, then you've got one. I won't lose my daughter."

"We'll see," Astoria replied with another smug smirk. "Goodbye, Draco."

Without uttering another word, Astoria turned on her heel and waltzed out of Draco's office. Draco was far too stunned to follow after his ex-wife, instead he sank into his chair and stared into space. His mind was a blur, and all he could think of was the fact he may lose his daughter.

This couldn't be happening, not after the plans he and Hermione were starting to make. This was supposed to be their year, the year they got married and their two families officially united. Now it looked as though they were going to have to unite against Astoria and kick his scheming ex-wife back out of their lives before she ruined their happiness. More importantly they needed to get rid of her before she ruined Mia's life more than she'd already done so.


	16. Chapter 16

Hermione's mind was awash with thoughts of weddings as she returned to her office following her lunch with Draco. She was well aware that if they wanted a summer wedding, they needed to get planning. Flicking through her diary, she checked how much holidays she had owing to her. Obviously she would need time off for the wedding and honeymoon, but she was wondering if she could take a few weeks soon to get the planning sorted. She could maybe even rope the likes of Ginny and Pansy into helping her with the arrangements, she was sure both witches would be more than happy to lend themselves to the wedding planning.

Hermione was wondering if they should ask Harry and Ginny to dinner one evening along with Pansy and Blaise to discuss the wedding when her door flew open. Raising her head to rebuke her secretary for just barging into her office without knocking, Hermione's heart momentarily stopped when she found Draco in the doorway. Her normally put together fiancé looked rattled, and she instantly feared the worst.

"Is it the girls?" Hermione questioned, panic flooding through her at the thought that one of the girls could be in danger. "Are they okay?"

"Mia and Zara are both fine," Draco reassured his fiancée. "Sorry to frighten you, I didn't think. We just need to talk, urgently."

"Come in and shut the door," Hermione said.

"Can we go home?" Draco asked. "This will be better at home."

"Okay, give me five minutes to get sorted and I'll meet you at home," Hermione said warily. If the girls were okay the only other thing she could think of was that Draco was ending their relationship, but she didn't understand why he would do so when things were fine between them just a few hours previously.

Hermione tried to put her fears aside as she quickly sorted things at work and headed home. When she arrived home, she found Draco using the floo network. She could only hear one end of the conversation, but it was clear her fiancé was asking Blaise to come round that evening, and it sounded as though his parents would be arriving as well. Once Draco was finished with Blaise, Hermione demanded answers.

"Let's sit down," Draco said quietly.

"You're frightening me, Draco. Just tell me what's going on," Hermione said, perching on the sofa beside her fiancé.

"When I returned to my office after lunch, there was someone waiting for me," Draco said in a hollow voice. He was still struggling to believe that Astoria was back after two years and was acting as though nothing had happened. "It was Astoria."

"No," Hermione gasped. "What the hell does she want?"

"Mia," Draco answered shakily. "She wants Mia."

Hermione immediately wrapped her arm around Draco's shoulders. Her fiancé was visibly shaken by the re-emergence of his ex-wife, and Hermione could understand why. Astoria could blow their entire world apart if they let her. However, Hermione wasn't planning on letting Astoria get her own way. Mia belonged with them, and with them was where she was going to stay.

"She'll never get her, Draco," Hermione said soothingly. "We'll fight her all the way. I promise, our daughter is not going anywhere."

"I know," Draco said with a nod of his head. "There's no way on earth I'm letting Astoria have Mia. I just can't believe she just turned up as though she hadn't abandoned her own child. She just waltzed into my office as though nothing had happened."

"We need to be prepared," Hermione said. "I'm assuming that was why you were talking to Blaise when I arrived?"

Draco nodded. "He's coming round after work, as are my parents. You're right, we need to be prepared and we all need to stand together. I don't know what exactly Astoria is planning, but she won't get her hands on our little girl."

"No, she won't," Hermione agreed.

The couple spent another hour or so discussing Astoria's return and what it would mean for their family, before it was time for them to go and pick the girls up from school. Over the course of the afternoon they'd decided that they didn't want Mia or Zara to know what was going on, meaning they had a problem since Lucius, Narcissa and Blaise would be arriving in a few hours to discuss things. While Draco headed off to pick the girls up, Hermione flooed Ginny and asked if she could look after the girls for a few hours. Ginny was curious about why Hermione wanted her to babysit, but Hermione promised to tell her the whole story at the weekend.

When Draco arrived home with the girls, Hermione prepared them some dinner as she and Draco made sure neither girl realised something was wrong. Luckily neither of them picked up on their parents distracted state. After dinner, Hermione mentioned them going to visit Harry and Ginny for a few hours and happily both girls were more than happy to accompany her to the Potters house.

"Is everything alright?" Ginny whispered to Hermione as the girls got settled in the front room with James.

"Not really," Hermione replied with a sigh. "Astoria came back today and she wants Mia."

"What are you going to do?" Ginny asked, looking over to where Mia and Zara were sitting on the floor playing with James.

"Blaise is coming round and we're going to discuss things with him," Hermione replied. "I'll fill you in on everything on Sunday."

"Good luck," Ginny said, offering Hermione a smile.

Hermione smiled back at her friend, before saying goodbye to the girls and heading back home. Shortly after Hermione arrived home, a worried Lucius and Narcissa turned up. Sitting his parents down, Draco informed them of the visit he'd received that afternoon.

"She's not taking our granddaughter," Narcissa hissed fiercely.

"No, she's not," Lucius agreed. "I promise you Draco, we're behind you and Hermione all the way. If you need anything, just let us know. We'll all stand together and that woman won't stand a chance of taking our Mia away from us."

Hermione and Draco shared a small smile at his parent's fierce backing. It felt good to have such solid support, and Hermione was convinced they would receive the same sort of support from the Weasleys. They had amazing friends and family, and all of them would support them as they fought Astoria and any claims she may feel she had on Mia.

Lucius and Narcissa had been at Draco and Hermione's for less than half an hour before Blaise appeared. His concern for his best friend was evident as soon as he entered the room, but he was totally blown away when Draco told him what they needed him for. Regaining his senses, Blaise downed a cup of tea before he suggested they all gather round the kitchen table so they could discuss things properly.

"What exactly did she say?" Blaise asked his friend. "Did she tell you what her plans were?"

"All she said was that she wanted Mia," Draco answered. "It was clear, she didn't mean she wanted visitation rights, she wants custody."

"How would she go about achieving that?" Lucius asked. "Draco has custody, doesn't that count for anything?"

"The fact Draco has custody counts for a hell of a lot," Blaise replied. "Unfortunately, when we drew up the custody agreements I just used a standard one. Astoria can still challenge it in a family court. I should have used a contract that basically stripped her of all her maternal rights, but I didn't think she would be back. She was a terrible mother, and I didn't think for one minute that she would come back wanting Mia."

"Don't beat yourself up, Blaise," Draco said to his friend. "No-one thought she would be back. I certainly didn't see this coming."

Blaise lifted the corner of his mouth in a half smile, before returning his attention to the other question Lucius had asked. "You asked how she could go about challenging the custody agreement, well she could do that in a few different ways. She could choose to come to us directly and try and renegotiate."

"No way," Draco interrupted with a snort. "I made it clear I wasn't budging on Mia's custody, but she would have known that anyway. She's going to try a different method."

"She could make a direct application for custody with the Ministry," Blaise said, continuing on with the ways in which Astoria could proceed. "If she does that, we'll know nothing about it until we receive a letter from the Ministry's family law division. Going directly to the Ministry is usually what people do when they feel they've got a very strong case for custody. However, the most likely way of proceeding is by putting in an application to have the custody agreement reviewed. To do that, Astoria's lawyers will have to contact us as well as the Ministry. It's certainly the most civil way to go."

"I don't think Astoria understands civil," Lucius sneered.

"I'm fairly sure that's the way she's going to go," Blaise said. "With a decent lawyer, she could be hopeful of challenging the custody agreement. There would be no point going for the direct application for custody, since Draco is an exemplary father and there's no grounds to take Mia away from him."

"What we need to know is if she can get custody," Hermione said. "Can she take Mia if she has a good lawyer?"

"I never like to say anything for certain regarding a decision made by someone else, but I'm very confident we can fight any claim she might present," Blaise said. "Firstly, we have the fact she abandoned Mia without a word and signed over full custody without a fight. It's going to take a hell of explaining to make that look like anything other than neglectful abandonment. We also have the fact she was a distant mother at best, we can call on a lot of people who'll testify just how disinterested she was in Mia."

"Will that be enough?" Narcissa asked. "Don't courts usually rule in favour of the mother, even if she is a terrible one?"

"The courts are a lot fairer these days, they don't make decisions based on the gender of the parent. They go with whoever can provide the best home for the child," Blaise answered. "And that is where we're going to shine. If by some miracle, Astoria's past doesn't get the appeal thrown out, we fall back on the life Mia has with Draco and Hermione. Mia has a loving father, a stepmother who adores her, and a sibling she loves. She also has her grandparents, and a vast array of family friends. Mia's life is settled and happy, and nothing Astoria can provide will top that. Mia herself can even give a statement, and we all know she'd never choose to leave her Daddy."

"So, you're confident we won't lose Mia," Draco said, looking his best friend in the eye and knowing he wouldn't lie to him.

"I am," Blaise replied. "I promise you, Draco, I'll do everything I can to fight whatever ridiculous claim Astoria comes up with. No-one in their right mind will award her custody of Mia."

"Will she get access though?" Draco asked. He didn't even like the idea of Astoria seeing his little girl, but he was realistic enough to understand it might be something he had to accept.

"I guess that depends on what she wants," Blaise answered. "When she's refused custody she might just go and crawl back under her rock."

"Do we know why she's suddenly turned up now?" Lucius asked, his eyes flicking over to where his son was holding onto Hermione's hand. "It seems like an awful coincidence that she should turn up now Draco is getting remarried."

"You think she knows about our engagement and is back to cause trouble?" Hermione asked with a gasp.

"I wouldn't put it past her," Lucius remarked. "I think I might speak to an investigator friend of mine and see what he can dig up about her. It might be handy to know where she's been these last two years, and more importantly why she's suddenly back."

"That could be very useful," Blaise said with a nod. "Presenting the facts should get the job done easily enough and get rid of her again, but just in case it would be handy to have some ammunition in case we need to play dirty."

"And how dirty are you willing to play, Blaise?" Draco asked his friend.

"As dirty as is necessary," Blaise replied with a sly smirk. "Don't worry Draco, you can count on me."

"I never doubted you for an instant," Draco replied, smiling back at his friend.

Beside Draco, Hermione watched the two men as their Slytherin side made an appearance. Normally she would be against talk of playing dirty in a court battle, but when it came to keeping Mia she would back Draco and Blaise to the hilt. They could play as dirty as they wanted as long as it kept their family together and kept both their girls where they belonged, which was right here with her and Draco.


	17. Chapter 17

Even though it wasn't the easiest thing they'd ever done, Draco and Hermione managed to keep their worries about Astoria from the girls. They never mentioned Mia's mother when they picked the girls up from the Potters, nor was she mentioned as they spent their Saturday together as a family. However, when it came to Sunday afternoon and time to go to The Burrow, Draco and Hermione knew the subject of Astoria would rear its head. It was only right to fill the Weasleys in on what was going on as they were practically family to Hermione.

"Are you ready for this?" Draco asked his fiancée as the girls pulled on their jackets.

"Yeah," Hermione replied. "As much as I would love to forget about her, we can't. We need to let our friends and family know what's going on."

Nodding in agreement, Draco rounded up the girls and together they flooed to The Burrow. As usual there was a large selection of Weasleys and their families present. Also as usual Molly had prepared a large spread of food and drink in the kitchen, while everyone congregated outside. Even though it was January, the garden was heated with various charms so no-one needed to worry about being cold.

Entering the back garden, Hermione and Draco were relieved when the girls ran off to join the other children in playing. Even Mia never gave Draco a second glance as she immersed herself in the mix of Weasley children spread over the garden. With the girls happily playing with the other kids, it gave Draco and Hermione a chance to speak to the adults. And of course everyone was itching to find out what was going on as all Ginny had been able to say was that Astoria was back. Settling down on the chairs that stood at the top of the garden, Draco and Hermione filled the Weasleys in on what had been occurring over the last few days.

"I can't believe she'd have the nerve," Harry remarked. "Who walks out on a child without a word and returns two years later seeking custody?"

"Astoria always did have some front," Draco replied.

"But she won't be able to take Mia, will she?" Molly checked. There was a time when she might have thought that all children should be with their mothers if possible, but she knew that Mia would be better off with Draco and Hermione.

"Blaise is confident we can stop her attempts at gaining custody," Hermione replied.

"Just let us know if we can do anything," Arthur said. "We'll all give statements testifying that you're wonderful parents and Mia should remain with you."

Draco was rather taken aback when the rest of the family echoed Arthur's sentiments. Even though the family had welcomed him into their lives when he got together with Hermione, it was still humbling to know they would support him as he fought for his daughter.

"Thank you, we appreciate it," Hermione said, smiling at the family of redheads. "Hopefully we can stop Astoria before things get that far, but if we can't, the more support we have the better."

"We're behind you all the way," Molly reassured the couple.

"Have you thought about what happens if things don't go your way?" Ginny asked cautiously. She couldn't imagine anyone giving Astoria custody of Mia, but she would hate for her friends to be so confident of winning that they didn't have a back-up plan.

"We still haven't made any decisions on that yet," Draco answered. He knew they would have to discuss contingency plans in case things didn't go as they expected, but they would get round to it before any custody hearings.

"Don't worry, we won't be sitting back and letting Astoria win," Hermione said forcefully. "Mia is our daughter, and she's staying with us. And we will do whatever it takes to ensure that happens."

Slowly the conversation drifted away from Astoria and her return. While Draco and Hermione joined in with the conversations and tried their best to have a fun afternoon, both of them kept thinking about Astoria and what would happen if the worst should happen. It was definitely something that needed to be discussed, even if it wasn't a conversation to look forward to.

As the afternoon wore on, people started darting in and out of the house as the food began to go down. Draco and Hermione were thrilled when Mia trotted into the house with Zara and the pair returned with a plate of food each, courtesy of Molly who was inside making sure the older kids didn't eat everything.

"She's gaining so much confidence," Draco said proudly as he watched Mia settle down on one of the blankets to eat her food.

"She's definitely starting to feel at home with the Weasleys," Hermione agreed. "But that's good, isn't it?"

"It's brilliant," Draco replied with a smile.

Sitting watching their daughters, Draco and Hermione got talking about the future. Obviously they had to deal with the Astoria threat before they could seriously look to the future, but they both agreed that they couldn't stop their lives just because Draco's ex-wife had reared her head. Naturally their first mention of the future was their wedding, which they both agreed still needed their attention if they wanted to actually get married in the summer. Then for the first time, the topic of children cropped up between them.

"Would you like more children?" Hermione asked once the topic had been raised. She knew Draco had a semi-permanent contraceptive charm on himself that he'd had put on after Astoria had given birth to Mia, but they'd never spoken about having it removed in order for them to have children.

"I would love another child," Draco replied. "What about you? Would you like another one?"

"I would," Hermione confessed. "I think it would be brilliant if we were able to have a child together. Of course we have to deal with Astoria first."

"Once she's been dealt with, it's definitely something worth talking about," Draco agreed. "Just think of the fun we can have trying for a baby," he added with a wicked smirk.

Hermione couldn't help but chuckle at Draco. "We can have some fun before that as well."

"I'll hold you to that tonight," Draco replied with a wink.

Giving Draco a quick kiss, Hermione excused herself to go to the bathroom. For the first time since Astoria had burst back into their lives a few days earlier, Hermione was thinking about something other than Draco's ex-wife. She was thinking about their future, and all they had to look forward to once they'd dealt with Astoria.

As Hermione came back down the stairs from using the bathroom, she heard the floo network sound in the front room. Since the entire family wasn't at The Burrow, she suspected it was more of them arriving, so she poked her head into the front room to greet the new arrivals. What she didn't expect was to find Ron standing in the centre of the front room.

"Ron!" she cried, rushing forward and hugging her friend.

"Hermione, it's so good to see you," Ron replied as he hugged his friend back.

"You haven't changed a bit," Hermione remarked, as they stopped hugging and she got a good look at her friend.

"Neither have you," Ron said with a warm smile. "Although you do look pretty happy."

"That's because I am pretty happy," Hermione replied. "A lot's happened since you've been away. I've got so much to tell you."

"Me as well," Ron said. "Starting with my girlfriend."

At Ron's words, Hermione suddenly realised they weren't alone in the room. There was a figure skulking behind Ron, and she didn't get a good look at the person Ron had brought with him until he stepped aside. Hermione almost passed out with shock as she instantly recognised the statuesque blonde witch with Ron.

"Hermione, this is my girlfriend," Ron began.

"Astoria," Hermione interrupted in a low hiss.

"Do we know each other?" Astoria asked with a puzzled frown.

"Not exactly," Hermione replied. "But I know all about you."

"Hermione, what's gotten into you?" Ron hissed, not at all impressed with his friend's hostile attitude towards a woman she'd never met.

"I'm sorry, I need to go," Hermione said as she turned round and bolted from the room.

Running into the kitchen, Hermione ignored Molly's frantic questions as she hurried outside. Hermione spotted Draco chatting with Harry and Ginny, so she quickly made her way over to the trio.

"What's wrong?" Draco asked as his frantic fiancée rushed up to them.

"Astoria's here," Hermione gasped out. "Ron's just arrived home and he's got her with him. She's his girlfriend."

For a minute everyone was silent as they digested the news Hermione had just brought them. Promising to make sure Astoria didn't leave the house, Harry and Ginny rushed off to see what was happening indoors. Turning to the twins and their wives, Draco asked if they could ensure Mia and Zara remained outside out of sight of Astoria.

"We could take them back to ours if you would prefer," Angelina offered.

Draco turned to Hermione, who quickly nodded her head. Since they had no idea what was going on with Ron and Astoria, it would probably be best if Mia wasn't around.

"Thanks," Hermione said as Draco called the girls over and got them ready to leave. "We'll be over to pick them up as soon as possible."

With Mia and Zara safely away from The Burrow, Hermione and Draco turned and slowly headed towards the back door. As they approached the back door they could hear Molly and Arthur happily greeting Ron. Quietly stepping into the room, they saw that Astoria wasn't in the kitchen. Ron had clearly entered the room first and was greeting his family before introducing his girlfriend to the family.

"Hermione, there you are," Ron cried as he spotted his friend entering the kitchen. However, the second he spotted Draco standing next to her his smile faded dramatically. "What is he doing here?"

"Ronald, do not be so rude," Molly scolded. "Draco is Hermione's fiancé, and as such he's a part of the family."

"Fiancé?" Ron spat. "I don't believe this."

"Never mind about Draco," Harry said. "Hermione says you've got a surprise for us."

"What?" Molly asked, looking at Ron expectedly.

Quickly darting out of the kitchen, Ron returned a few moments later with Astoria. He'd clearly told Astoria that Draco was there as she didn't look surprised to see him, just annoyed.

"Mum, Dad, this is my girlfriend," Ron said. "Astoria Greengrass."

Molly let out a sharp gasp as she turned to Draco with a questioning look on her face. Knowing exactly what Molly was asking him, Draco nodded once, confirming that Ron's girlfriend was indeed his ex-wife.

"Are you not going to say anything?" Ron snapped in annoyance.

"Yes, I am," Molly replied. "Please get that woman out of my house."

"Mum," Ron cried. "Don't be so rude."

"I'm sorry Ronald, but I will not have that woman in my house," Molly insisted.

"But you don't even know her," Ron protested.

"I know what she's done, and what she's trying to do," Molly retorted. "I'm sorry Ron, but she's not welcome here."

"Don't you want to hear our side of the story?" Ron asked. "Surely as your son, I deserve that."

"That all depends," Arthur replied. "First of all, I want to know if you're the reason Astoria left her husband."

"No, he's not," Astoria answered. "I met Ron after I left Draco. He had nothing to do with my marriage breaking down."

"So does this mean, you want to hear our side of things?" Ron asked.

"We'll hear you out," Arthur said, silencing Molly with a look when it appeared she was going to protest.

"But don't expect us to take your side," Ginny added, glaring at Astoria. "No-one in this family will support that cow trying to take an innocent girl away from her family."

"I am her family," Astoria retorted sharply. "Like it or not, I am Mia's mother."

"You gave birth to her, there's a difference," Draco spat. "A mother cares about her child. You don't care about Mia. You never did."

"You have no idea how I feel about my daughter," Astoria replied.

"I know you don't love her," Draco retorted. "If you loved her, you never would have left her."

"And if you loved her, you never would have let her be raised by a mudblood," Astoria spat back, causing everyone, including Ron, to look at her in disgust.

"That's it," Arthur declared. "Get out of my house now. I will not tolerate such language in my home."

"Apologise Astoria," Ron warned in a quiet voice. "I love you, and I'm supporting you in this, but I won't tolerate you calling my best friend that name."

"Sorry," Astoria said through gritted teeth. "It was a slip of the tongue."

"I doubt it," Hermione replied. "You were just showing your true colours."

"You'll see my true colours as I fight for my daughter," Astoria promised. "Enjoy her why you can Draco, because soon she'll be back with me and you'll never see her again."

Without saying another word, Astoria turned on her heel and stalked out of the kitchen. Seconds later the floo network sounded, signalling her departure from the house.

"And you're seriously involved with her?" Harry questioned Ron with a disappointed shake of his head. "Are you really backing her claims for custody?"

"She's my girlfriend, and she wants Mia back," Ron replied. "She is her mother and she has rights."

"No, she is not Mia's mother," Draco said forcefully, glaring at Ron. "Hermione is Mia's mother. And you can tell your girlfriend that she won't get her hands on our daughter."

"Please Ron, you have to see sense," Molly pleaded with her youngest son. "Astoria isn't a fit mother. You can't let her tear Mia away from her family."

"Look Hermione, I'm sorry you've gotten yourself caught up in all of this," Ron said, turning to his friend. "But I'm sticking with Astoria, and we're going to get her daughter back. I don't want to hurt you Hermione, but I have to do this."

"No, you don't," Hermione whispered. It was bad enough that Astoria was back, but it really hurt that her friend was involved in her plans to take Mia from her and Draco.

"Astoria isn't a bad person," Ron said to his family. "If you just give her a chance, you'll see that. She was just upset today, but she's not normally like that."

"Yes, she is," Draco said with an unimpressed snort. "That is exactly what Astoria is like."

"Maybe when she was with you, but she's changed," Ron spat at the blond. "Now she's free of your wretched family she's a good person. Hermione, you should also get away from him while you have the chance. The Malfoys are nothing but bad news, and I don't want you to get hurt."

"The only person hurting me is you," Hermione replied. "I'm sorry Ron, but I really don't think we can be friends any more. At least not while you're trying to take our daughter away from us."

"And do you all feel like that?" Ron asked, looking around at his family.

"We do," Ginny confirmed as Harry nodded his agreement beside her.

"I'm sorry Ron, but we won't support you and your girlfriend," Molly said. "Mia should be with Draco and Hermione, and we'll all fight to make sure that happens."

Ron nodded once and after looking sadly around at his family, he turned around and followed after his girlfriend. Ron's departure left a stunned silence behind him and for a while no-one said anything. Finally Draco broke the silence by thanking the family for standing up for him and Hermione.

"We better go and pick up the girls," Hermione said quietly. "George and Angelina took them back to theirs with Fred and Alicia," she explained when she received a few odd looks.

"We didn't know what was going to happen, so we thought it best if they weren't around," Draco added.

"We understand," Molly said with a nod. "But rest assured, that woman will not be setting foot inside this house again. You need never have to worry about the girls' safety when they're here, she'll never get to them."

Saying their goodbyes, Draco and Hermione picked the girls up and headed home. Luckily Mia and Zara were none the wiser about what had happened that afternoon. For the time being they were blissfully unaware of the threat that was hovering over their happy family unit.

* * *

"I don't believe this," Astoria fumed, pacing up and down in the lavish hotel room she was sharing with Ron.

The couple were currently staying in a fancy hotel in London, as they hadn't wanted to stay with Astoria's parents and they hadn't even spoken to Ron's parents before today. Not that things had gone according to plan at The Burrow. Ron's family were supposed to be the support they needed to help Astoria regain custody of her daughter, but that plan had been shot down in flames thanks to Draco and Hermione.

"What the hell is Draco thinking?" Astoria continued to rant. "Why is he involved with that mudblood?"

"Astoria," Ron warned in a low voice. He had no problems with Astoria bad mouthing her ex-husband, but he wouldn't stand for her insulting Hermione.

"Sorry," Astoria replied, not really sounding it. "But I just can't believe it. This was supposed to be so easy, but everything is falling apart."

"We haven't lost yet," Ron said to his girlfriend, trying to sound optimistic. "We can offer Mia a great life in Portugal."

"Yes, but our family support network has just been blown out of the water," Astoria protested. "My stupid parents haven't bothered with Mia since I left, so we can't say she's going to have her loving grandparents in her life. They screwed that up for us. Your family were supposed to be that support for us. They were supposed to back us up."

"I can talk to them," Ron suggested. "I can tell them the full story and the reason we want Mia. I'm sure I can convince Mum to come round, and if she comes round the rest of the family will follow."

"They hate me, Ron," Astoria wailed, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "They're never going to back us over Draco and Hermione."

"I can at least try," Ron said, sitting down next to Astoria and wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "Don't worry Astoria, we're not giving up just yet. Mia will come back with us, I promise."

"And what about the fact Draco's gone and gotten himself engaged?" Astoria questioned. "The fact we're together was supposed to be better than Draco struggling on as a single father. Now he's engaged and in a stable relationship. Mia has a mother figure in her life now."

"A mother figure is not the same as having her mother in her life," Ron said firmly. "You can't give up, Astoria. We can provide a good life for Mia. Let's not focus on Draco and Hermione and what they can offer her, let's focus on what we can offer her. We have to think positive."

"Even so, we need a back-up plan," Astoria said thoughtfully. "If we have to, I'll fight dirty to get my daughter back. The question is, are you with me? Whose side are you really on Ron? Mine or Hermione's?"

"Yours," Ron replied without thinking. Hermione may have been his best friend, but he loved Astoria, and he would stand by her no matter what it took to get Mia back.


	18. Chapter 18

After their initial couple of encounters with Astoria, Draco and Hermione were on tenterhooks as they waited for something more to happen. Hermione knew Ron had spoken to his family again, trying to get them onside, but the Weasleys weren't budging. Their support was with Draco and Hermione, and that was where it was staying. If Astoria and Ron were trying to build up a solid support network of friends and family, it wouldn't be including the Weasleys.

While they waited to hear from Astoria's solicitor regarding Mia's custody, Draco passed on the information about Astoria and Ron to his father, so he could pass it on to his investigator friend. Two weeks later they finally had some action when Lucius informed them that he'd received a file from his investigator friend.

A trip to the manor was easy to organise and Mia and Zara were thrilled to be going to see their Grandpa Lu and Nana Cissa. Arriving at the manor, both girls flew into the front room to greet their grandparents. By the time Draco and Hermione got to the front room, both Mia and Zara were chattering away to the elder Malfoys. Despite wanting to discuss what Lucius had found out, neither of them hurried the girls away. Instead they settled down and Narcissa arranged for them all to have refreshments.

"Have you heard from Blaise?" Narcissa asked casually. Even though they didn't want to mention Astoria by name, they still had a bit of leeway with what they could discuss in front of the girls.

"I spoke to him this morning," Draco replied. "He's still heard nothing, and he keeps telling me not to worry."

"Maybe there's been a change of plans," Narcissa said hopefully. Given what had happened with Ron's family, she was hoping that things might have changed with Astoria.

"We can only hope," Hermione said. "Although personally I doubt it."

"I can't see it happening either," Draco said. "It's just taking longer to happen than we thought."

"Well when it does happen, we'll be ready," Lucius said with confidence.

Not wanting to say much more in front of Mia and Zara, conversation drifted away from Astoria. Hermione filled Narcissa in on how the girls were getting along at school, while Draco and Lucius chatted a bit about business. Eventually it became clear that it was time for Draco and Hermione to hear what Lucius's friend had discovered, so it was up to Narcissa to take the girls somewhere else to play.

"I've got a surprise for you girls upstairs," Narcissa said to the two four year olds. "I've found my old doll house and I've set it up in the playroom. Do you want to go and see it?"

"Yes please," Zara cried, jumping to her feet.

"Are you coming, Mummy?" Mia asked Hermione.

"Let's go and get everything set up first," Narcissa said. "It needs tidying up before we show it to anyone. We can make it all pretty and perfect before anyone sees it."

Satisfied with Narcissa's answer, Mia and Zara happily accompanied their grandmother upstairs. As they left Hermione mouthed a thank you to Narcissa, who gave her a warm smile and a reassuring pat on the shoulder as she passed by. Once the girls were safely upstairs playing, Lucius popped to his office to get the file his friend had sent him.

"I gave my friend the information about Portugal, and it didn't take him long to rustle up plenty of dirt on Astoria," Lucius said as he placed the file on the coffee table. "He's still going to look into how she spent her first few months after leaving, but he gave me a solid overview of how she's spent this previous eighteen months."

"We already know she's been with Ron all that time," Hermione said. "Is there anything more to know?"

"I think you'll find some of what I've got to say very interesting," Lucius replied. "Anyway to start at the beginning, Astoria's been in Portugal for just over eighteen months. A few weeks after arriving in the country she attended a party and met Weasley. As an overseas quidditch player, Weasley's a big star over there, which I'm assuming is what attracted her to him."

"Sounds like Astoria," Draco muttered. "Always looking for money and fame."

"Anyway, a few weeks after this party they were pictured together on a date," Lucius continued. "Because of Weasley's fame, their whole relationship is catalogued in the gossip section of the Portuguese papers and covered in the glossy magazines. To cut a long story short, within months they were the hottest celebrity couple in wizarding Portugal."

"Sounds nice," Draco sneered. "But what does this have to do with wanting Mia back?"

"Nothing, I'm just giving you an overview of the situation," Lucius replied. "Anyway my friend had to dig a bit deeper, but he spoke to a couple of Weasley's team-mates and he found out a few things that weren't reported in the papers. Firstly, about six months ago Weasley began to get broody and started talking about settling down with Astoria. All his team mates knew she'd been married before and had a child, but Weasleys had been telling them that Draco had been a terrible husband and he'd all but pushed Astoria out of his and Mia's life once she'd given him a child."

"And people believed that?" Hermione demanded, feeling angry on Draco's behalf. The trouble was, she knew Draco wouldn't do that, but anyone who didn't know him might believe that he was the reason Astoria left Mia behind.

"I don't think so, my friend said none of Weasley's team-mates had a nice word to say about her. They all view her as a gold-digging tart," Lucius replied with a smirk.

"They'd be spot on then," Draco remarked.

"They would," Lucius agreed. "Anyway, all his team-mates agree that Weasley's been totally taken in by Astoria. All he seems to want to do is settle down with her and start a family."

"Then why don't they do that?" Hermione hissed. "Why try and steal out daughter?"

"Apparently a few months ago, Weasley turned up at training all excited because Astoria was pregnant," Lucius replied.

Draco frowned as he felt Lucius's report just wasn't accurate. He didn't think his father was lying, or that his information was wrong, but it just didn't feel right. He knew Astoria and there was no way in hell that he could see her getting pregnant a second time.

"My thoughts exactly," Lucius chuckled, recognising the disbelief on his son's face. "I wasn't too sure about this part when my friend first informed me of the details, but then he carried on with his story and revealed that just days after Weasley was spreading the news about a pregnancy his team went away for a weekend training session and when they came back, Astoria had reportedly had a miscarriage."

"How convenient," Draco murmured. The question was, had Astoria aborted the baby or had she lied about being pregnant in the first place.

"That seemed to be the general consensus in Portugal as well," Lucius continued. "Most of Weasley's team-mates think she faked a pregnancy because she knew he was wanting to start a family."

"How does faking a miscarriage stop Ron from wanting to start a family though?" Hermione asked with a frown.

"According to my friend's sources Weasley was telling his team-mates that Astoria was devastated by the miscarriage and she was too afraid to try again in case she lost another baby," Lucius answered. "That seemed to be when they decided to try and get Mia back, with plans to add to the family in a few years when Astoria is ready to try again."

"They want Mia to replace a child they lost?" Hermione demanded angrily.

"Or possibly never even had in the first place," Draco grumbled. "She doesn't want Mia, she just wants to give Weasley his family so she can stick with him and carry on living the high life as his girlfriend."

"It certainly seems that way," Lucius said with a sombre nod of his head.

"No way is that going to happen," Draco snarled. "She is not getting her hands on our daughter."

"Do you think this information will help our case?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know," Lucius confessed. "We can all see through Astoria's pity stories, and see the lies beneath them, but not everyone will be able to. This story could give her a sympathetic edge. The poor woman who lost a baby, and decided to reconnect with the daughter her ex-husband was keeping her away from."

"We need to get this information to Blaise and see what he has to say about it," Draco said. Like his father, he could see how Astoria could use the story to gain sympathy for her case.

"My friend's still digging into the rest of her time away, I'll let you know when he gets something more," Lucius said.

"Thank you, we appreciate your help," Draco said to his father.

"I just wish I could do more," Lucius replied with a sigh. "I just wish I could make her disappear."

"Don't we all," Hermione grumbled.

Draco nodded in agreement, before taking a deep breath and dismissing Astoria from his thoughts. "I think that's enough about her for one day. Let's make sure the girls enjoy the rest of their weekend."

Apart from Draco going to see Blaise and filling him in on what they now knew about Astoria, she wasn't mentioned for the rest of the weekend. As usual Draco and Hermione concentrated their energies on the girls, and both Mia and Zara had a fun weekend fixing up the old doll house that Narcissa had found.

* * *

By the beginning of February, word came that Astoria had officially requested to have the custody agreement looked at. Blaise informed Hermione and Draco of the situation as soon as he became aware of it and the trio started planning for the preliminary hearing. Blaise made it perfectly clear that the preliminary hearing wasn't the place to be throwing allegations around, it was just a chance to get a glimpse at what the other side were thinking. It was also a chance to see if things could be sorted without any further legal proceedings.

The preliminary hearing was the first week of February and it took place in the Law Department of the Ministry. Since it was family law they were dealing with, the meeting took place in a separate part of the department to where Hermione worked. Both Draco and Hermione had taken the day off work to attend the meeting, and they'd arranged for Narcissa to pick the girls up as Blaise didn't know how long the hearing was going to last.

"Are you sure we're prepared for this?" Draco asked his best friend as they nervously waited to be called into the meeting room.

"We'll be fine," Blaise reassured him. "Just remember to let me do the talking. And don't forget, no mudslinging. For today, we're concentrating on what you two have to offer Mia. We'll get into Astoria's deficiencies at a later point, but not now. Just keep your cool and everything will be fine."

Draco nodded and took hold of Hermione's hand in order to keep himself calm. Minutes later he needed every ounce of the calmness Hermione provided him with as Astoria and Ron appeared with her lawyer, a middle aged wizard named Nigel Pike. Astoria curled her nose up when she spotted Hermione, but she didn't say anything as Ron gently shook his head at his girlfriend. Astoria and Ron had only been there for a couple of minutes, before a wizard poked his head out of the room they were going to be using and announced it was time.

The room consisted of two large tables facing a third longer table. There was five people sitting at the longer table, and they would make up the hearing committee who would oversee the proceedings and decided what action needed to be taken. Astoria, Ron and Pike settled at the table nearest the door while Blaise, Draco and Hermione made their way over to the second table.

"My name is Judge Henson," the wizard in the centre of the table began. "Along with my colleagues, I will be presiding over events. I trust both parties are aware of how the procedure works." He briefly paused and looked at both tables, only continuing when he received nods from both parties. "I'm hoping we can sort this like amicable adults, and I hope we can all remember that at that heart of this there is a little girl. I am not interested in petty squabbles between a former couple, all I care about is making sure we make the right decision for little Mia. Since Miss Greengrass has requested this hearing, we will hear what she has to say first. Mr Pike, you may begin."

Once the judge had finished, Astoria's lawyer got to his feet. Blaise rolled his eyes at the other lawyer's grandstanding, and he had to hold back a smirk when the judge immediately made him sit down, reminding him that it was a preliminary hearing and not a court case.

"Miss Greengrass is seeking full custody of her daughter," Pike began. "At the time she signed custody over to Mr Malfoy she was in a vulnerable state and thought she was doing what was best for her daughter. However, her circumstances have now changed. She's in a stable relationship with Mr Weasley and the pair believe they can provide Mia with the home she needs."

"Miss Greengrass, can you elaborate more on why you gave custody to your ex-husband?" Judge Henson asked. "According to our records the custody papers were filed along with the divorce proceedings. It appears you didn't even fight for your daughter."

"I'd just suffered a miscarriage," Astoria announced, much to Draco and Hermione's shock. Now there seemed to be a second miscarriage to add to her sob story. "My marriage was already in a bad way, and the miscarriage just seemed like a signal that it was time to end it. I was in such a bad way that I left Mia, thinking I would be no good to her. Draco's a good father, but it's time she was back with her mother."

"That isn't right," Draco whispered to Blaise as the judge stopped Astoria in making pleas to the committee. "I've got a semi-permanent contraceptive charm on me. I couldn't have gotten Astoria pregnant."

"We'll discuss it later," Blaise whispered back. "But she may just have handed us some extra ammunition."

"And why are you so convinced you will provide the better home for your daughter?" Judge Henson questioned, ignoring the whispering at the second table. He fully expected whispered conversations to take place as proceedings carried on.

"Miss Greengrass and Mr Weasley are financially stable," Pike answered. "They own a beautiful house in the Portuguese countryside, which will be an ideal place for a young girl to grow up."

"You want to take her out of the country?" Draco gasped, unable to keep quiet at the latest revelation. "There's no way that's happening."

"Mr Malfoy, I will not accept outbursts like that, please control yourself," Judge Henson snapped. "Now Miss Greengrass, why would you expect me to give custody to someone who wants to uproot their daughter and move her abroad."

"It won't be forever," Astoria answered, giving the judge a sweet smile. "Ron still has another four years on his contract with his club. Once his contract is over we plan on returning home and settling down in this country, where we will be expanding the family. Mia will have four years soaking up the culture in another country, before settling down here and attending school in this country. It will be an experience she can't get anywhere else but with us."

Judge Henson nodded, before turning to Draco and Hermione's table. "Now it's Mr Malfoy's turn to speak. We want to know why you think you should retain custody of your daughter."

"Mia Malfoy is already settled with her father and stepmother," Blaise began. "Draco has been there for Mia her entire life, and he's never once let her down. Mia has a settled life in this country. She has parents who love her, a stepsister whom she adores and a strong support system of family and friends. Tearing her away from everything she's ever know would be too much for her to cope with. Draco and Hermione provide her with everything she needs, and they give her the loving home every child deserves."

"Mr Malfoy, I understand you and Miss Granger are to be married," Judge Henson said, consulting some files. "And that you've recently adopted Miss Granger's young daughter."

"We are getting married, hopefully in the summer," Draco answered. "And I have adopted Zara. The official paperwork came through just after New Year. But that doesn't change the fact Mia is better off with us. We're a family, all four of us."

"Miss Granger, is that a sentiment you echo?"

"It is," Hermione confirmed with a nod. "I love Mia like she was my own flesh and blood."

Judge Henson nodded and requested a brief time out so he could talk to his colleagues. As the committee panel huddled together to talk, Draco and Hermione checked with Blaise how things were going.

"Now he's going to want to know if there's any chance of compromise," Blaise informed the couple. "Unless they back down, I think we're going to face a proper hearing sometime in the next few weeks."

"Bring it on," Draco muttered. "Her pregnancy lie needs to be outed. I'm telling you, I could not have gotten her pregnant. I can get healers to prove it. Until I have the charm removed, I can't have more children."

"I think we need to check out Astoria's medical records," Blaise said. "Just because you didn't get her pregnant, didn't mean she wasn't."

"You think she was cheating?" Draco asked.

"It's a possibility," Blaise replied. "But either way, it doesn't look good for her. She was either cheating on you, or she's lied about a miscarriage in order to make herself look good."

"And don't forget the supposed miscarriage that led to this whole charade in the first place," Draco added. "Can we check out if she's lost a baby in Portugal?"

"I'm sure we can," Blaise replied with a nod. "It might not be entirely legal, but I'll get the information we need."

"As long as we don't lose Mia, I don't care what you do," Draco replied fiercely.

"I think the judge is ready again," Hermione interrupted, gesturing to where the committee were all settling back in their proper seats.

Blaise was right, and the next topic was compromise. Draco was adamant he wasn't willing to share custody with Astoria, and she was just as determined that she wanted sole custody of Mia. When it became clear that joint custody just wasn't an option, Judge Henson announced that they would have to continue with the process and have an official custody hearing.

"With the matter pending, I grant Miss Greengrass visits with her daughter," the judge announced. "I think two hours, twice a week shall suffice for the time being."

"Can we protest?" Draco asked Blaise.

"Not really, but we can ask for stipulations," Blaise said, before asking the judge if he could speak. "Considering Miss Greengrass hasn't seen her daughter in two years, we would like to ensure she's not left alone with Mia. We request that during her meetings either Mr Malfoy, Miss Granger or one of Mr Malfoy's parents are present at the visit."

"I see no problem with that," Judge Henson replied. "We are trusting that visits will be done without us having to interfere. In the next couple of weeks, both parties will be receiving letters arranging home visits and interviews. Before we reach the final hearing, I want a complete overview of each couple, and what they each offer."

"Miss Greengrass and Mr Weasley are currently staying at a hotel in this country," Pike piped up. "But I'm sure a visit to their home in Portugal can be arranged."

Judge Henson nodded, satisfied with the arrangement. "As I say, full checks will be carried out over the course of the next few weeks, but for now Mr Malfoy retains custody of Mia Malfoy with Miss Greengrass getting a two hour visit twice a week."

With the preliminary hearing finished with, the committee filed out leaving everyone else to hash things out between them. Astoria clearly wasn't happy about how things had gone, and she was complaining to her lawyer that she wanted custody, not visits.

"We have to be back in Portugal in a few months," Ron moaned. "I can't miss any pre-season training."

"This won't take months," Pike said confidently. "The meetings and visits will take two or three weeks, then the hearing date will be set. Once a date's been set, the hearing will only take a day or two."

"Then I'll have my daughter back," Astoria declared, smirking smugly at Draco.

"Don't count your chickens, Astoria," Draco retorted. "I'm not letting my daughter go anywhere with you."

"You have no choice, Astoria had visitation rights," Ron said.

"Supervised visits," Blaise corrected. "Visits that will be arranged via me. Get in touch and we can sort out times and dates for the visits."

Leaving a clearly frustrated Astoria, Draco, Hermione and Blaise swept out of the room and returned home. A full custody battle looked to be on the cards and they needed to prepare. But first they had to explain to Mia that her mother was back and that she was going to be seeing her every week until this was sorted.


	19. Chapter 19

Informing Mia and Zara of Astoria's return was not something either Draco or Hermione were looking forward to doing. However, before they went and spoke to the girls they ran over what they were possibly going to say. They knew it was important to reassure Mia that she wasn't going anywhere, but at the same time they didn't want to badmouth Astoria. Draco had been able to refrain from disparaging his ex-wife in front of his daughter for the last two years, and he wasn't going to start now. Slagging Astoria off and trying to turn Mia against her wasn't the way to go. What they had to do was make the hard times ahead as easy as possible for their little girl.

"Are you ready?" Hermione asked Draco as they prepared to floo to the manor to pick the girls up.

"Not really," Draco confessed. "I honestly never thought this day would come. I knew one day Mia would ask questions about Astoria, but I thought it was still years into the future. I certainly never expected Astoria to waltz back into our lives and want Mia back."

"She's not getting her Draco," Hermione reassured her fiancé. "Even if things go wrong with the court, she is not getting our daughter."

"I know," Draco agreed with a nod. "Although I think next time I see Blaise we need to talk contingency plans. It's all very well expecting the judge to see through Astoria, but we have to be prepared for if he doesn't."

"How can he be taken in by her?" Hermione questioned with a slight snort. "No-one in their right mind would give Astoria custody, not after her past behaviour. Besides, we've also got plenty of dirt to throw at her. We know why she's back and the reasons she and Ron want custody, plus there's her first miscarriage. Either she's lying and manipulating the court, or she was cheating on you. Either way, she doesn't look good."

"I hope you're right," Draco said with a sigh.

"I'm always right." Hermione smiled at her fiancé, and gave him a quick peck on the lips before grabbing some floo powder and flooing to the manor with Draco right on her heels.

Of course Lucius and Narcissa wanted to know everything that had happened with the hearing when they arrived at the manor. While Hermione distracted the girls, Draco quickly filled his parents in on how things stood. Both of the elder Malfoys were appalled by the thought Astoria could have cheated on their son, and Lucius vowed he would get hold of her medical records to discover the truth. He also vowed to get on to his investigator friend and see if he had any details about what Astoria had gotten up to directly after leaving Draco. So far they were getting nowhere with discovering where she'd been, but it now looked as though she could have left with her lover if there had been one.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay for dinner?" Narcissa checked when Draco announced it was time they got back home.

"It's okay Narcissa, I've got everything planned," Hermione replied, giving her future mother-in-law a smile.

"Besides, we've got other things to deal with tonight," Draco added in a sombre voice.

"Call us if you need anything," Narcissa told her son, giving him a hug.

Thanking his parents for their support, Draco gathered the girls and he and Hermione flooed home with them. Wanting to eat before they discussed anything with the two four year olds, Draco and Hermione banished thoughts of Astoria as they spent time with their daughters. As always the two girls were full of tales of what had happened at school, and they happily chatted away to Draco while Hermione made dinner. Over dinner they continued to chatter on, unaware of the tension in their parents as they prepared to try and have a serious talk to the two youngsters.

"Girls, we need to talk to you," Draco announced after dinner as the two four year olds barrelled into the front room to play with their dolls which they'd gotten for Christmas.

"Okay Daddy," Zara said, turning round to face Draco as he entered the front room.

"You too, Mia," Draco said, tapping his daughter on her head. Mia turned her head to look at her father, but she didn't let go of the doll she had in her hand.

"Why don't you both come and sit with us?" Hermione suggested as she sat down on the sofa with Draco, and left enough room in between them for the two girls.

"Are we in trouble?" Mia asked quietly as she climbed up beside her father while Zara settled herself down in-between Mia and Hermione.

"No sweetheart, you're not in trouble," Draco replied, wrapping his arm around Mia and giving her a kiss. "We just need to talk to you about something very important. You know that Hermione is your Mummy now, but you've also got another Mummy."

"She left," Mia whispered in a small voice.

Reaching across Zara, Hermione soothingly stroked Mia's blonde hair. She'd only ever heard Mia mention Astoria once, but it was clear she was affected by her mother's abandonment. Hermione wasn't sure if Mia missed Astoria, but she did know the little girl was terrified of someone else doing what Astoria had done and abandoning her.

"She did," Draco agreed, working hard to keep the anger and annoyance from his voice. "But now she's came back, and she wants to see you. Is that okay with you?"

Mia glanced over at Hermione, before tentatively shrugging her shoulders.

"Mia, it's okay if you want to see your Mummy," Hermione soothed.

"You're my Mummy," Mia said firmly.

"I know, honey," Hermione replied, with a small smile. "But you have another Mummy, and it's okay if you want to see her."

"Will she leave again?" Mia asked her father, her grey eyes wide with trepidation.

"I don't know, princess," Draco admitted. He wasn't going to lie to Mia and promise her Astoria was sticking around as he doubted she would when she didn't gain custody of their daughter. "But she's here now, and she's going to visit you every week. Okay?"

"I guess," Mia answered with an uncertain sigh.

"Don't worry, your Mummy and I will be with you all the time," Draco reassured his daughter. "We're not leaving you."

"Mummy?" Zara asked quietly, tugging on Hermione's sleeve. "Will Mia's other Mummy take her away?"

Zara's questioned elicited a horrified gasp from Mia, and tears started to pool in her large grey eyes. "I don't have to go away, do I, Daddy?" she asked quietly.

"No princess, you don't," Draco replied, pulling Mia onto his knee, while Zara shuffled over and nestled into his side. "No-one is taking anyone away. The four of us are a family, and nothing will change that."

"Good," Zara said, taking hold of Mia's hand. "I don't want to lose my sister."

"No-one is losing anyone," Hermione reiterated as she moved closer to her family. "This changes nothing."

"Of course it doesn't," Draco agreed. "Mia's other Mummy just wants to visit. She won't be taking her anywhere."

Hermione and Draco spent the next half hour reassuring the girls that nothing would change now that Astoria was back in their lives. By the time they'd finished and the girls returned to their dolls, Hermione and Draco just hoped they'd explained things well enough. It wasn't exactly easy to explain complicated custody issues to two four year olds, no matter how clever they were.

When the girls settled down in bed, Draco and Hermione hoped they'd put Astoria to one side until it was time for Mia to meet her. However, when the couple decided to have an early night and went up to bed, they found things wouldn't be that easy. The pair had barely entered their bedroom when the door crept open and a worried looking Zara poked her head around the door.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" Hermione asked her daughter.

"Mia's crying," Zara revealed. "She thinks she's going to be taken away."

Promising Hermione and Zara he'd be right back, Draco strode out of the bedroom and returned moments later with his sobbing daughter in his arms. At the sight of Mia in floods of tears, Hermione felt a wave of loathing aimed at Astoria. She doubted the other witch had the slightest clue what her desire to hang onto Ron by giving him a family was doing to her daughter. Did she even care that she was throwing Mia's life into turmoil, and upsetting the four year old? As long as she got what she wanted, that was seemingly all Astoria cared about.

"No-one is taking you anywhere, princess," Draco told Mia as he sat down on the bed with her. "This is your home, and this is where you're staying."

"Make her go away, Daddy," Mia whispered through her tears.

Not knowing what to say as there was no way he could give Mia what she wanted, Draco just hugged her closer. Once her tears had calmed down, he settled her into the large king sized bed he shared with Hermione. Zara crawled into bed beside Mia, and the two four year olds snuggled up together in the centre of the bed.

"We have to get rid of her," Draco whispered to Hermione as they disappeared into the bathroom to get ready for bed. "This is tearing Mia apart."

"We have to follow the court's ruling," Hermione said. "Whether we like it or not, Astoria is going to see Mia. All we can hope is that once she doesn't get custody she goes crawling back to Portugal with Ron."

"If she doesn't, we'll go," Draco decided. "I am not letting that witch destroy my daughter's life. If this hearing doesn't result in her leaving, we find another way to get her out of our lives. I won't stand for Mia living in fear that she's going to be taken away from us."

"Hopefully it won't come to that, but if it does, we'll handle it as a family," Hermione said. "No-one is tearing our family apart, least of all Astoria. We'll get rid of her Draco, I promise."

The couple shared a brief kiss before they returned to the bedroom, where they climbed into bed on either side of the two four year olds. As a foursome, the family fell asleep, their worries about Astoria put on the back burner for the night.

* * *

Less than a week after the hearing, Astoria had her first meeting with Mia. The meeting had been arranged via Blaise and Astoria's lawyer, and for the first time it was decided that it would be best for Mia if the meeting happened at home. Hermione had arranged for Zara to spend the afternoon at Ginny's, so Mia had a chance to meet her mother by herself. However, neither Hermione nor Draco were planning on leaving Astoria alone with their little girl.

On the day in question a subdued Mia was curled up on the sofa, reading one of her books while Hermione and Draco anxiously awaited Astoria's arrival. So far she was running nearly ten minutes late, and they were half hoping she didn't turn up. Unfortunately, the sound of the doorbell dispelled that hope for the couple.

"Keep calm," Hermione warned her fiancé as Draco got up and went to open the door for his former wife.

Knowing Hermione was right, and keeping his temper was vital, Draco took a deep breath before opening the door. The second the door was open, Astoria brushed past him and entered the house. Instantly Draco could see her eyes sweeping all over the place and taking in her surroundings.

"Talk about going down in the world," she sneered as she shrugged off her expensive fur lined coat. "Honestly Draco, could you not have done better than this? What is it, a one bed-roomed hovel?"

"It's a three bed-roomed family home," Draco replied, with only a slight bite to his voice. "And we're perfectly content here."

"Three bedrooms, at least Mia has her own room," Astoria sniffed, before she turned back to her ex-husband. "She does have her own room, doesn't she?"

"She shares with Zara, but that was her choice," Draco explained. "The third bedroom is a playroom for the girls."

"I can't believe you've done this, Draco," Astoria hissed. "Thank Merlin, I'll be taking her away from this. At least with me she'll have her own room, instead of being forced to share with the horrid daughter of the mudblood."

"You say anything like that about Hermione and Zara again, and you'll be out on your ear without even seeing Mia," Draco warned in a low voice as he took a menacing step towards his ex-wife.

"You'd risk disobeying the courts?" Astoria questioned with a smug smirk. "I don't think so. You need to play by the rules if you want to keep Mia. But even that isn't going to work. She's my daughter, Draco, and I'm getting her back."

"Just you push me Astoria, and you'll see what I'm capable of," Draco snarled. "Don't forget who you're dealing with. I'm a Malfoy, and I'm not afraid to break a few rules to get what I want. And right now, what I want is you gone from our lives forever. You're right, I am playing by the rules for the time being, but that can change in an instant. Don't get too comfortable, Astoria, this little reunion will be over before it's began. You're not getting your hands on my daughter."

"We'll see," Astoria replied, although her confidence seemed slightly shaken by Draco's words.

"I suppose we should go and see Mia, considering you're already running nearly fifteen minutes late," Draco said, taking a step away from the blonde witch. "And don't think we're adding the time onto the end of the visit, you're fifteen minutes down on your allotted time."

Astoria gave Draco an unimpressed glare, before turning and heading in the direction of the front room. With the house being open plan, Hermione and Mia had been in plain view the entire time. Not that Astoria had even bothered to acknowledge her daughter, a fact that hadn't gone unnoticed by Draco and Hermione. It just proved what they'd always known, this wasn't at all about Mia, it was about Astoria trying to give Ron a family so she didn't have to have another baby just yet.

"Mia, this is Astoria," Draco said, sitting down next to his daughter. "Your other Mummy."

"Her only Mummy," Astoria snapped.

"That's a matter of opinion," Draco muttered. "Say hello, Mia," he urged his quiet daughter.

Slowly Mia lifted her head from her book and looked to where Astoria had perched on a nearby chair. "Hello."

"Hello, Mia," Astoria replied stiffly, attempting to smile at the young girl. "Aren't you a pretty little thing? I've got a present for you."

Draco rolled his eyes as Astoria reached into her bag and pulled out a brightly wrapped box. Trust his ex-wife to think she could buy Mia's affection with expensive presents. Despite his reservations, Draco said nothing disparaging as Astoria handed the box to Mia, who immediately turned to look at Hermione.

"Open it, sweetheart," Hermione urged with a smile.

Carefully Mia tore into the paper, revealing a silver case. Mia wasn't able to open the case, so Draco leaned over and flipped the catch. When he then opened the case he was horrified to discover it held an entire make-up set.

"Paints," Mia said quietly, looking at the eye-shadow pots.

"They're special paints for your face to make you look pretty," Astoria replied.

"Are you kidding me?" Draco snapped as he took the case off Mia and shut the lid.

"What's the problem?" Astoria asked in annoyance. In her opinion Draco was just jealous that she'd given Mia a present she clearly loved.

"The problem is, she's four years old," Draco explained through clenched teeth. "She's too young for this rubbish. She plays with dolls, and colouring books, she doesn't wear make-up."

"Someone needs to teach her about making the best of her looks," Astoria sniffed. "After all, she's got no-one here to aspire to," she added cattily, openly glaring at Hermione. "Mia needs a role model when it comes to emphasising her looks."

"Mia does not need this," Draco insisted, thrusting the case back at his ex-wife. "She's a child, and I will not have you treating her as though she's a teenager. If you want to buy her presents, buy her age appropriate things."

"I had make-up at her age," Astoria retorted, as she reluctantly slid the case back into her back. "It just teaches her to look after herself."

"No, it teaches her that she's not good enough as she is, and she needs to wear make-up to be accepted," Draco shot back. "Which is not true. A child does not need make-up."

Astoria glared at Draco, but she didn't argue the point any further. Instead she turned her attention back to Mia, and attempted to talk to the young girl. Unfortunately for Astoria, Mia had retreated into her shell and she only spoke a handful of words to her biological mother. Draco watched the interaction closely, and he wasn't surprised to see Astoria sneaking looks at the delicate silver watch on her wrist. Finally, half an hour before her visit was due to end, she announced she had to leave.

"Now?" Draco questioned. "Your visit has another half hour to go."

"I thought you would be pleased to get rid of me," Astoria said as she rose to her feet.

"That's not the point," Draco replied. "The point is you arrived late and left early. Good way to show your commitment to Mia, Astoria."

Ignoring her ex-husband, Astoria bent down and pecked her daughter on the cheek. "Don't worry Mia, I'll be back in a few days. Maybe we could go somewhere else, somewhere more fun."

"Arrange it through Blaise," Draco said through gritted teeth as he escorted Astoria to the door.

Sliding into her coat, Astoria didn't even bother to give Mia another glance as she strode out into the cold and apparated away before Draco even had a chance to shut the door behind her. Shaking his head at his former wife, Draco returned to where his fiancée and daughter were still sitting.

If Astoria's first visit was anything to go by, he wasn't sure they had as much to worry about as they'd feared. After all, it would surely count against Astoria that the first time she'd seen her daughter in two years and she'd missed almost forty-five minutes of the two hour allotted visit. She was hardly portraying herself as the devoted mother she was claiming to be these days. Maybe getting her custody attempt thrown out of court would be easier than they'd imagined.


	20. Chapter 20

Astoria's second meeting with Mia was set for a Saturday, and at Ron's urging she'd arranged to meet her daughter at a wizarding play park. The play park wasn't Astoria's idea of a good time, but as Ron pointed out, it would help their case if Mia started to look forward to her visits with Astoria. After all, the courts would find it harder to deny Astoria custody if her daughter was thrilled to have her mother back in her life.

"I don't know if I can do this," Astoria wailed to Ron as she prepared to go and have her second visit with Mia.

"I know the play park isn't your thing, but Mia will love it," Ron urged his girlfriend.

"Not the play park," Astoria replied. "I meant facing Mia herself. You didn't see her last week Ron, she hates me. Draco has well and truly turned her against me."

"And we can fix that once we have Mia with us," Ron soothed as he simmered with anger at his girlfriend's ex-husband. Astoria had told him all about her marriage to Draco, and how he'd made her life a misery, and he hated the blond more now than he ever had in school. "Don't let Malfoy win, Astoria. We will win this custody case, and we will be a perfect little family."

"Yes, we will," Astoria replied with a smile as Ron's words soothed her worries. All she had to do was play the part of the perfect mother for a few more weeks, then once they had Mia they could return home and she could hand her daughter over to the nanny she already had lined up to work for them.

"Now go and impress your daughter," Ron urged with a reassuring smile. "Just ignore your bastard of an ex-husband and go and enjoy spending time with your daughter."

Giving Ron an encouraging smile of her own, Astoria expertly hid her distaste of going to a play park as she shrugged on her coat and picked up her bag. Promising to be back soon, she headed off for the second meeting with her daughter.

When Astoria arrived at the play park she was thrilled to discover there was an indoors section as well as an outdoors play area. Since it was still only February, there was still a chill in the air and the last thing she wanted to do was sit outdoors for a couple of hours. Heading indoors she hoped Draco was already present, but sadly when she entered the building it wasn't her ex-husband she found sitting with her daughter. Instead, it was Hermione who was sitting with Mia, sipping on a cup of coffee as Mia drank a glass of milk and nibbled on a muffin.

Plastering a smile onto her face, Astoria breezed over to Mia and greeted her with an enveloping hug and a peck on the cheek. "Hello, my little darling," she cooed.

"Hello," Mia muttered in reply as her small hands wiped at the lip-gloss Astoria had left on her cheek.

While Astoria ignored Mia's discomfort, Hermione pulled a wipe out of her bag and cleaned her daughter's face.

"Astoria," Hermione greeted with a tense nod as Mia pushed aside her half eaten muffin and edged closer to her and away from her biological mother.

"Hermione," Astoria returned in a voice dripping with distaste. "Could Draco not manage to show up today?"

"We decided I would supervise the visit today," Hermione replied, choosing not to inform Astoria that the reason Draco wasn't there was because he was having a meeting with Blaise to discuss what would happen if the worst should happen and the courts awarded Astoria custody of Mia.

"We'd be perfectly fine if you had other things to attend to," Astoria said.

"I don't think so," Hermione replied, narrowing her eyes at Astoria. The other witch must be completely mad if she seriously thought Hermione would leave her unsupervised with Mia.

"You know it's very hard for me to bond with my daughter when I have the witch who stole her from me sitting alongside us," Astoria huffed.

"I didn't steal anyone, Astoria, you walked out and left Draco and Mia," Hermione retorted.

"I was in a bad way, I didn't know what I was doing," Astoria replied, looking sorry for herself.

"You can stop the dramatics, Astoria, I don't believe you," Hermione said quietly. "Save your pathetic lies for the court. You're here to see Mia, so maybe you should pay her some attention."

Astoria gave Hermione a cold glare before focusing her attention on Mia. Sadly, Mia was not at all responsive to Astoria's attempts to talk to her and she just sat snuggled into Hermione's side. Finally, Astoria gave up and with a dramatic sigh she headed over to the café to grab herself a drink, although Hermione noticed that she didn't bother to see if Mia wanted anything.

"You can go and play, sweetheart," Hermione whispered to Mia once Astoria had left.

"Really?" Mia asked, her eyes darting over to her favourite part of the play park, the ball pool.

"Yes, go and play, we'll be right here," Hermione urged.

Giving Hermione a quick smile, Mia got to her feet and darted off to the ball pool. By the time Astoria retuned and found Mia was nowhere in sight, the four year old was already playing around in the ball pool. Astoria wasn't happy when Hermione said Mia had gone off to play, but after ten minutes sulking she left her half drank cup of tea and headed over to the ball pool.

Hermione watched as Astoria sat down near the ball pool and tried to talk to Mia. When Mia reluctantly moved closer to Astoria so they could talk, Hermione had to control the urge to go and grab her and move her away from Astoria. It physically pained her to see Mia interacting with Astoria, albeit begrudgingly, and Hermione couldn't help but worry about what affect this could have on her own relationship with Mia. She knew Mia loved her, but she couldn't help but think that the little girl's head could be turned by Astoria. And even if her head wasn't turned, there would still be some fallout when Astoria left. Hermione hated to think about the heartbreak Mia was in store for, and worst of all she knew there was nothing she could do to stop it. She couldn't stop Mia getting hurt, all she could do was make sure she was there to mop up the tears and reassure her that she was still loved when Astoria got sick of playing the perfect mother and abandoned her again.

Surprisingly, Astoria managed to go nearly her whole two hours with Mia without incident. For most of that time Mia was in the ball pool and playing around the other parts of the park, while Astoria stayed nearby. Even though her eyes never left the pair, Hermione remained at the table where she'd been sitting since Astoria arrived. However, nearly ten minutes before the visit was due to end, Hermione was horrified to witness Mia burst into loud tears before she turned and ran towards her.

"Mia, sweetheart, what's wrong?" Hermione asked as Mia flung herself into her arms.

"Don't make me go," Mia wailed.

"Go where, darling?" Hermione asked in concern.

"With her," Mia replied, still crying as she pulled herself away from Hermione and pointed an accusing finger at Astoria, who was casually walking over to the pair, seemingly unconcerned by Mia's tears.

"What have you said, Astoria?" Hermione hissed as she held onto Mia and ran a comforting hand through her soft hair.

"Nothing," Astoria replied with a shrug.

"She said I was going with her," Mia supplied through her tears. "She said she was taking me far away and I would never see you or Daddy or Zara again. Please don't let her, Mummy. I hate her."

"You are not going anywhere, Mia," Hermione said softly, kneeling down so she was face to face with her daughter. "No-one is taking you away from us."

"Don't promise her things that you can't deliver on," Astoria warned. "You're only making this harder on her."

"The only one making this harder on her, is you," Hermione snarled, glaring hatefully up at Astoria. "What on earth possessed you to threaten her like that?"

"It wasn't a threat, I was merely telling her what to expect," Astoria replied with an unconcerned shrug.

"You've terrified her," Hermione hissed. "Who in their right mind tells a four year old that you're going to take them away from their family? You're a monster, Astoria. You don't have a maternal bone in your body."

"Like it or not, Mia is my daughter not yours," Astoria shot back. "I won't lie to her and pretend that nothing is going to change. She will be coming back to Portugal with Ron and I, and when she does, she won't be seeing any of you again. It's time she came back to be with her real family."

"We are her real family," Hermione said. "And you won't get your hands on her, Astoria."

Giving Astoria a filthy look, Hermione picked a still sniffling Mia up in her arms and gathering their belongings she strode out of the play park. Astoria did call after her, claiming the meeting wasn't over yet, but Hermione ignored her. She couldn't care less if Astoria wanted to complain that she cut the meeting short. Her priority was Mia, and right now the best thing for Mia was to get her away from Astoria before the witch could spread more poison and hurt the four year old more than she already had.

* * *

While Hermione was supervising Astoria's visit with Mia, Draco had taken Zara to the manor. While Narcissa kept Zara occupied, Draco had settled in his father's office with Lucius and Blaise. The idea was to discuss tactics for the court case, as well as to come up with a contingency plan if things went wrong and Astoria was awarded custody.

"Straight away, I should tell you I've heard some more from my investigator friend," Lucius began. "Now this is all just preliminary work, but he thinks he's got a trace on where Astoria was before she turned up in Portugal. It's not yet confirmed, but it appears that for a few months before she left that she was having an affair with a wizard named Dougal Ferguson. Ferguson's about ten years older than you, Draco and while not as rich as the Malfoys, he comes from money."

"So she left me for him?" Draco asked. To be honest he wasn't bothered that Astoria had cheated on him, the only thing that mattered to him was now getting her out of Mia's life for good.

"It looks like it," Lucius replied. "It seems she moved into his Scottish castle with him, before leaving a few months later and moving to Portugal."

"Any word on her two miscarriages?" Draco asked, turning to Blaise. Even though he knew his father had put out feelers, he also knew Blaise was looking into Astoria's medical history.

"I have the answer to both, although legally we'll not be able to use the information," Blaise replied. "If needs be I can apply to the courts to have her medical records looked at, but at least we have the full picture."

"And what is the full picture?" Lucius asked.

"Two days before she left Draco, Astoria had an abortion," Blaise answered. "I don't know any more details, but she was at least pregnant."

"But she didn't miscarry, and the child wasn't mine," Draco said. Even without his contraceptive charm, he could count on one hand the number of times he'd had sex with Astoria following Mia's birth, so there was no way on earth it had been his child.

"We can't prove who the father of the child was, but we can show it couldn't have been yours," Blaise said. "If things go further following the courts visits and interviews, it will be something I'm planning on bringing up at the hearing. So in preparation, I think we should arrange for you to visit the healers Draco, and we can get a sworn statement off him about the chances of you fathering children without the spell been removed."

"Consider it done," Draco replied with a nod. "Now what about the second miscarriage? The one that started all this?"

"From what I can find, it never happened," Blaise said. "It seems to be pretty much as we thought. Weasley wanted kids, so fearing she was going to lose her lifestyle and fame if he left her, she lied and told him she was pregnant. The weekend she supposedly lost the baby, there's no records of her turning up at any hospital. If she lost a baby that weekend, she didn't seek medical help of any kind."

"She was no more pregnant than I am," Lucius snorted. "I went to Portugal last week to speak to some of Weasley's team-mates and a few other people who know them, and they all just confirmed what we've already decided. She's playing Weasley for a fool. I paid a cleaner who works for Weasley to talk to me, and while she has no proof, she pretty much confirms what Blaise had just said. She didn't think there was a pregnancy, and she got the impression Astoria suggested gaining custody of Mia to avoid having to really get pregnant. She's got Weasley convinced that she's too fragile to try for another baby. However, she suggested that they get custody of Mia so they could still have a family and when she was ready they could have a baby of her own. Apparently, Astoria even has a full time nanny all lined up for when they get back."

"Can we use that against her?" Draco asked Blaise as he ground his teeth at the thought of his ex-wife using Mia as a pawn to keep her famous boyfriend. "The fact she wants to take Mia and is then going to dump her on a nanny?"

"We can bring it up," Blaise said with a nod. "Of course she could say it's just to help her out as she gets used to being a mother again, but we can definitely bring it up."

"But will all this be enough?" Lucius asked. "It's really all rumours and supposition. We can't prove Astoria's motives."

"Not to a court," Blaise agreed. "But we could try and prove them to Weasley. Draco, do you think Hermione could talk to him and try and get him to see sense? If we could open his eyes to what Astoria was like, he might walk away from her, and if that happens she won't want Mia."

"They haven't spoken since that day at The Burrow, but I know Hermione would try," Draco said. "I'll ask her and we can see if she can talk some sense into his thick head."

"We can't count on that working though," Lucius cautioned. "We all know what a nasty piece of work Astoria is, but there's no denying she can charm even the best of them. If she's got Weasley wrapped around her finger as tightly as it appears, it might be like talking to a brick wall trying to get him to see sense."

"Father's right," Draco agreed, wincing as though about how easily he'd been fooled into thinking Astoria was someone she wasn't when they first got together. "I want a back-up plan in place, just in case everything goes wrong and we lose Mia."

"The obvious answer is an appeal, but even appeals take time and while we're waiting for it to be sorted, Astoria would have the right to take Mia back to Portugal with her," Blaise admitted with a sigh.

"Not going to happen," Draco snarled. "Even if we lose, Astoria is not getting her hands on my daughter."

"Your second option is running," Blaise said. "We start now, and we arrange a house and some money to be waiting in case the worst should happen. Mia won't be in court for the hearing, so there will be a window of opportunity to get her away before you have to hand her over to Astoria. Although, I have to warn you Draco, this route is the extreme route. If you do this and you run, you can never come back. None of you can. If anything goes wrong, you would lose Mia for good. And this will involve Hermione and Zara as well, unless you're planning on leaving them behind."

"No," Draco replied shortly. "We're a family, we're all sticking together."

"Including Narcissa and I," Lucius said. "If the worst comes to the worst, we're coming with you. The entire family will disappear and I swear, Astoria will never find us."

"Can you make that happen?" Blaise asked Lucius.

"I can," Lucius confirmed with a nod. "Do you want me to sort it, Draco? I can put everything in place so if we need it, we'll have an escape route. And if we don't, no-one will ever know we've even had this conversation."

Draco was silent for a long time as he thought over his options. Blaise was right, it really was a drastic answer, but sadly it was the only one he could see working if the worst should happen.

"Do it," he quietly ordered his father.

"And Hermione?" Lucius questioned. He didn't doubt Hermione would stand by Draco, but it was a big thing asking her to leave her entire life behind if things went wrong with Astoria.

"I'll talk her tonight," Draco said. "I'll also ask her about Weasley. With a bit of luck, none of this will be necessary and we can either win this fight in court or better yet, get Astoria to go away."

Lucius and Blaise nodded their heads, hoping that things didn't get so bad that the entire Malfoy family had to vanish. With any luck, Astoria could be swiftly dealt with and Draco and Hermione could get back to planning their wedding and looking forward to the future.


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N - Sorry for no updates last week, but my laptop broke and I had to get a new one. To make up for last weeks missing updates, I will update this story 4 times this week (the usual Tuesday and Thursday, plus today and Friday). Thanks for your patience, and I hope you enjoy this weeks chapters.**

* * *

Draco was furious when he returned home and found out just what Astoria had said to Mia at their meeting. He'd known his ex-wife was a nasty piece of work, but he hadn't thought that she would stoop as low as to upset Mia in such a horrific way. Despite his and Hermione's best efforts, Mia was obviously still troubled by what Astoria had told her. It didn't matter how many times they'd assured her that she wasn't going anywhere, Mia was still quiet and withdrawn.

By the time Mia and Zara headed to bed and Hermione and Draco got the chance to sit down and talk, Draco was beginning to wonder if they wouldn't just be better off putting the contingency plan into place without even waiting for the hearing to be over. It would certainly save Mia a lot of pain and heartache, and it was breaking Draco's heart to see his little girl in such a state. He wanted nothing more than Astoria to disappear out of their lives, and he was more determined than ever to make sure it happened.

With Mia and Zara both safely out of the way, Hermione recounted the entire meeting with Astoria for Draco. She'd been very careful how she'd explained things earlier as the girls had been around, but with them both settled in bed, she held nothing back from her fiancé. By the time she'd finished talking, Draco knew his fiancée was as angry and appalled as he was by the situation with his ex-wife.

"I hope your afternoon was better," Hermione said. "Did Lucius have anything from his investigator?"

"He had quite a bit actually," Draco replied. "Firstly, Astoria was pregnant towards the end of our marriage, but she aborted the child. And it's looking like she made the second pregnancy and miscarriage up to stop Weasley going on about children."

"What a pleasant woman," Hermione muttered. "Can we use the information in the hearing?"

"No," Draco answered with a shake of his head. "But Blaise wants to me to visit my healer and get him to release my medical records which will prove I can't father more children until I have the contraception charm reversed. I think he's also going to request that Astoria's medical records be made available to the hearing."

"That should bring her lies out into the open," Hermione said. "It might even help Ron see her for what she really is."

"About that, we were wondering if you could try and talk to Weasley," Draco said. "It's obvious Astoria only wants Mia to hang onto Weasley. If we could make him see sense, Astoria might drop the case. She doesn't want Mia. She wants to keep Weasley, and she thinks Mia is the way to do that."

"We haven't spoken since the day we all saw him at The Burrow, but I can try and talk to him," Hermione replied. "Maybe Molly can help arrange something. Because you're right, Ron is the key to this. If he backs off, Astoria won't want to know about Mia. But what if it doesn't work? What if Ron is so besotted with Astoria that he refuses to see what she's really like?"

"Then we have two options," Draco answered solemnly. "We carry on with the hearing and hope the courts can see the truth about Astoria, or we leave. As we speak, father is putting a plan in place for if things don't go our way with the hearing. If for some reason the courts award Astoria custody, the plan is for us all to leave. We disappear before we're forced to hand our daughter over. Of course, going down that route is drastic, and as Blaise pointed out, there's no going back if we do run."

"I'm assuming if we run, Lucius can ensure we're never caught," Hermione said.

"If we run, no-one will ever be able to track us down," Draco confirmed. "The Malfoys will simply disappear."

"But it's not just a last resort is it?" Hermione questioned. "You're thinking of doing it now. Before we even find out the results of the hearing."

"I wasn't until I came home to find my daughter worrying that she's going to be taken away from us," Draco replied. "It kills me to see her in such pain, Hermione. As long as Astoria's around, Mia will never feel safe. She's going to spend the next couple of months fearing that she'll be taken away from us."

"I know, and I really wish there was something we could do to stop this," Hermione said, taking hold of Draco's hand in hers and giving it a reassuring squeeze. "But I don't think running is the answer."

"At all?" Draco questioned, suddenly worried that Hermione and Zara wouldn't agree to run with them if the worst should happen.

"Just not now," Hermione replied. "If the worst happens and the courts are taken in by Astoria, I say running is our best option. But let's not do anything so drastic unless we must. You said Blaise said it was the last resort, and he's right. If we do run, our entire lives will change. We will have to leave behind everyone else, and never get in contact with them again. Even with the protection Lucius can promise us, we'll still be living the rest of our lives looking over our shoulders. I don't think we should put the girls through that unless we have to."

"Okay, so we stay and fight," Draco said with a determined nod of his head. "But I will not stand for Astoria upsetting Mia the way she did today."

"Something needs to be done about that," Hermione agreed. "Can we get Blaise to make an official complaint against her? Surely it's not right for her to be scaring Mia the way she did."

"I'll speak to him about it," Draco said. "But in the meantime, Astoria does not speak to Mia without either you or I right at her side. You gave her a chance, and she blew it. She proved she can't be trusted, and I will not risk her hurting Mia again."

"And I also think we need to start preparing for the hearing," Hermione said. "I'll speak to Molly and see if she can reach out to Ron for me. You need to get yourself to the healers and prove that the baby Astoria aborted wasn't yours. Astoria's picked the wrong people to fight with, Draco. We will not let her get her hands on our little girl, and I don't care if we have to smear her reputation to prove what a lying, heartless cow she is."

Draco smiled gently at Hermione as he pulled her into his arms. "Have I told you lately, just how lucky I am to have you?"

"I don't think so, but feel free to tell me how wonderful I am," Hermione joked, smiling back at Draco.

"You are amazing," Draco replied sincerely. "I love you Hermione, and I couldn't think of anyone I'd rather have at my side right now."

"Right back at you," Hermione murmured, pulling Draco's lips to hers as she silenced his worries for a few blissful hours.

* * *

The day after Mia's disastrous second visit with Astoria was a Sunday, so the entire family headed to The Burrow in the afternoon. Mia was still hurting over the previous day, and for the first time since her earlier visits to The Burrow, she refused to leave Draco's side. Even Zara couldn't tempt Mia to join in with the others, but rather than leave her sister, she stayed right with her and Draco had both his daughters with him all afternoon.

"It's so sad," Molly said to Hermione with a slow shake of her head. The two witches were in the kitchen with Ginny, and they were looking out of the window to where Draco was sitting with Mia and Zara right next to him. "She was making such good progress."

"I don't think she was this shy even when she first visited," Ginny remarked. "I barely managed to get a hello out of her when you arrived."

"It's terrible," Hermione agreed sadly. It broke her heart to see all the confidence Mia had gained in the last couple of years vanish thanks to her bitch of a mother.

"I hope the hearing will find out about this," Molly said. "Surely it'll count against Astoria that after two visits with Mia, she's terrified of the future."

"We spoke to Blaise this morning and on Monday he's going to file a complaint," Hermione replied. "We're hoping it either results in the meetings being cancelled, or it hurries the process up a bit. It's not fair on Mia to drag this out."

"I just wish there was something we could do to help," Molly said with a sigh as she continued to watch Mia refusing to move from her father's side.

"Actually, there might be," Hermione said, turning to face Molly. "It's clear that Astoria and Ron want Mia as a substitute to the baby they supposedly lost. We're thinking if we can get Ron to see sense, he might convince Astoria to drop the claim for custody."

"I thought you didn't want Ron to know about what you've discovered about the baby?" Ginny questioned.

Hermione and Draco had filled the Weasleys in on what Lucius's investigator had uncovered, but they'd made the family swear that not a word of it got back to Ron so that he and Astoria wouldn't have a clue about the ammunition Blaise was collecting to blow their claim apart. As it was, Ron had already tried to get around Molly by confiding in her about the miscarriages and how scared Astoria was to try again in case she lost yet another baby.

"We don't," Hermione replied. "It's vital that Astoria doesn't know how much we know about her miscarriages. I was hoping to get through to Ron without having to tell him about the baby. Don't get me wrong, I would love to tell him that there wasn't a baby, so he can stop grieving for a life that never existed, but right now, I just don't trust him not to run to Astoria with anything I say to him. I'm hoping all our years of friendship will count for something, and he'll listen to reason."

"How do you want me to help?" Molly asked. Like Hermione she longed to tell Ron the truth about the child he was grieving for, but she understood that it was vital for Draco and Hermione to keep what they knew from Astoria, so they could hit her with it during the hearing.

"I don't think Ron would agree to meet me, so I was hoping you could invite him over here," Hermione said. "He might come if he thinks you're willing to listen to him and possible take his side."

"But how are you going to get him to stay once he realises it's you who wants to talk?" Ginny asked.

"I'm not sure," Hermione admitted with a slight grimace. "I guess I'll have to act quickly and say enough to convince him to hear me out."

"Don't worry, he'll hear you out, I'll make sure of it," Molly promised in an intimidating voice. She was clearly going to get tough with her youngest son and force him into at least hearing Hermione out. What good it would do them remained to be seen, but at least they were trying.

* * *

As promised, Blaise raised a formal complaint against Astoria first thing on the Monday morning. He spent the entire morning at the Ministry, ensuring that the family court took the complaint seriously. To be honest he was hoping that they would cancel the pre-arranged visits until the next hearing, but what they'd eventually decided upon was to bring forward the court's inspections and meetings with the two sets of parents. Blaise left the Ministry with dates in his possession as to when Draco and Hermione could expect visits from the officials from the family court.

Eager to get the news to Draco, Blaise went straight to his best friend's office. Luckily, he'd arrived at lunchtime, so Draco wasn't in any meetings, and fortunately his best friend was also still in the office. Draco's secretary was at lunch when Blaise arrived, but Draco was still able to produce a cup of coffee and a sandwich for his friend.

"I take it you have news," Draco said as the pair settled down in the comfortable chairs in the corner of the office.

"I do," Blaise replied. "I made the complaint about Astoria, and it's gone into the court's notes."

"Are they stopping the meetings?" Draco asked eagerly.

"No, but they have pushed forward the court visits and inspections," Blaise answered. "Once they're done and filed, we'll get a date for the hearing fairly quickly."

"When are these visits and inspections?" Draco questioned.

"This week," Blaise replied. "They want to visit you and Hermione on Thursday. They'll also want to talk to Mia at the same time."

"Will Hermione or I be with her?" Draco checked.

"No, you'll not be allowed," Blaise said. "But don't worry," he quickly added, stopping Draco before he could protest. "She won't be alone. You're not allowed to be with her because the court feels she might not be able to express her honest opinions in your presence. Since she's only a minor, the court official can't speak to her on her own, so I'll be there. I'll not be able to influence her in any way, but at least she'll have someone with her whom she trusts."

"Thanks Blaise, I appreciate it," Draco said, relief flooding his features now he knew his little girl wouldn't have to talk to strangers alone. "Although I don't think we need to worry about you not being able to influence her. Mia doesn't need anyone to influence her to let her feelings on Astoria be known."

"How is Mia this morning?" Blaise asked. He'd seen his little god-daughter the previous day and she'd been as reserved as he'd ever seen her.

"Still weepy," Draco answered with a sigh. "She refused to go into school, so Hermione took the day off work. We need to end this, Blaise. Astoria is ruining Mia's life. It doesn't matter how much Hermione and I reassure her, she's terrified that Astoria will take her away from us."

"It shouldn't be much longer now," Blaise said. "Astoria and Weasley will be getting their visit this week as well. It takes a few days for the results to be turned into reports, but I would think we'd have a date for the hearing next week, probably for the week after. So, I'm going to concentrate on our case. I'm going to gather all the statements that confirm what great parents you and Hermione are, and how useless Astoria was. I also need your healer's statement, and I'll sort out the request for Astoria's medical history. By the time we've finished with her, no court could honestly justify giving her custody of Mia."

"I hope you're right Blaise," Draco said with a sigh as he ran his hand through his hair.

He didn't know how much more of Astoria and his games he could take. He just wanted everything to go back to how it was. He wanted to be a happy family with Hermione, Mia and Zara, and not have to worry about his ex-wife. But Astoria wasn't going to just go away without a fight, so Draco would fight. He would go to the ends of the earth of his daughter, and it would be a cold day in hell before he let Astoria get her hands on his precious Mia.


	22. Chapter 22

Astoria stomped around the hotel suite she was sharing with Ron, in a totally foul mood. At the beginning of the week, everything had being going so well. Molly had been in contact asking to speak to Ron, and her boyfriend was convinced his mother was coming around and she would offer them her support. Ron had spoken to her a couple of times since everything had kicked off at The Burrow, and Astoria knew her boyfriend had used the miscarriage to gain sympathy from his mother, but until now she'd remained firmly on Draco and Hermione's side. However, the fact that she'd contacted Ron of her own free will was promising and Astoria had been hoping that they would be able to count on the support of Ron's family.

However, before Ron had even had a chance to speak to his mother, Astoria's lawyer had turned up unexpectedly and announced that the court were bringing forward the planned interviews. Astoria was not happy by the news, especially once she found it was a result of a complaint Blaise had made. Initially she'd ordered her lawyer to fight against the interviews being so soon, but he'd pointed out that since Blaise was arguing that Mia was feeling the toll of the process, it would be unwise to argue against a decision that the court had made to help Mia. Instead Astoria had been forced to grit her teeth and accept the interview was going to be held much sooner than she would have liked.

"I bet this is that bitch Hermione's fault," Astoria grumbled for at least the tenth time that morning. "She was the one who stormed out of my meeting with Mia. If anyone should be in trouble, it should be her."

"You're not in trouble, Astoria," Ron said soothingly. "We knew these interviews were coming up."

"Yes, but not on just over twenty four hours' notice," Astoria argued. "We haven't had any time to prepare."

"We spent all day yesterday preparing," Ron said calmly as he took his girlfriend in his arms. "We're going to be just fine."

"Just fine won't get us my daughter," Astoria remarked. "We have to be perfect."

"We can do that," Ron assured her with a smile. "Just think of all the wonderful things we can offer Mia. I promise you that when the official from the Ministry visits our place on Friday, they'll be blown away. Our house is much more impressive than Hermione's tiny place."

Ron knew that Draco and Mia had moved in with Hermione and Zara when he'd seen the address Astoria had been given for her first meeting with her daughter. To be honest he was surprised that if Draco and Hermione were serious about getting married that they hadn't found their own place. The second he and Astoria got serious, he gave up his luxury penthouse and they bought a fancy home together. Or rather he bought the house, and merely put Astoria's name on the deeds along with his. But for some reason, Hermione and Draco had chosen to stay in Hermione's old house, which was perfectly nice, but not a patch on the luxury he and Astoria could provide for Mia.

Ron spent another few minutes calming Astoria down, and by the time there was a knock on the door of the suite, his girlfriend was the picture of serenity. Ron was the one who answered the door and ushered Astoria's lawyer, Pike, into the room. He was accompanied by a middle aged witch from the family services department of the Ministry, who introduced herself as Zoe Ashcroft.

"Have a seat," Ron said politely, gesturing to where he'd arranged for a pot of tea and biscuits to be served in the living area of the suite.

"Thank you," Zoe said as she took her seat next to Pike. "I'm sorry this is such short notice, but once we heard Mia was struggling with all the upheaval we thought it best to push ahead with the case."

"We totally understand," Astoria said, giving the older witch a warm smile. "The last thing we want is for Mia to be upset."

"Although because of the short notice, I understand I can't view your house in Portugal today," Zoe said, consulting her notes.

"Sadly no," Ron said, sitting down next to Astoria and taking her hand in his to offer her moral support. "But we understood a visit was arranged for Friday."

"Yes, one of my colleagues will be handling it," Zoe replied with a nod.

"We do have some picture if you would like to see them," Astoria offered.

"That would be most helpful," Zoe answered.

Getting back to his feet, Ron grabbed the stack of pictures he and Astoria had gathered of their house in Portugal. He then handed them to his girlfriend, who talked the witch from children's services through them, pointing out how perfect the place would be for Mia.

"It does look very idyllic," Zoe admitted.

"It is," Astoria enthused. "The grounds are large, but well protected. Mia wouldn't be short of anything to do at our house."

"And what about her room?" Zoe asked. "I didn't see any child friendly bedrooms in the pictures."

"We haven't sorted one yet," Astoria replied. "We've got five guest bedrooms and our intention is to turn one of them into Mia's bedroom. But we wanted her to pick her own room and colour scheme."

"We thought it would be the perfect first activity for us to do as a family," Ron added.

"And where do you see your ex-husband fitting into your family, Miss Greengrass?" Zoe asked. "If you're awarded custody, Mr Malfoy will still have visitation rights."

"And we welcome that," Astoria said, lying smoothly to the witch in front of her. Once she had Mia, she had no intention of ever letting Draco near her again. "Draco is Mia's father, no-one is denying that. He can come and visit our daughter whenever he wants."

"Even though you plan on taking her to a different country?"

"We're magical, Miss Ashcroft," Ron answered. "Living in different countries isn't a problem. It's no different visiting Portugal than it is to visit a distant part of this country. Mr Malfoy won't have any problems visiting his daughter. If of course, he chooses to do so."

"You don't think he will visit Mia if you're awarded custody?" Zoe asked, clearly shocked at the suggestion.

"My ex-husband has never been a good loser," Astoria said with a slight shrug. "I can't in all honesty say what he will do if he loses custody. He might just forget about Mia and focus on his new family. He does after all have a new daughter now."

"And what about if you lose custody?" Zoe questioned, making notes on everything she was being told and her impressions of the couple in front of her. "Will you want contact with your daughter?"

"It's what I want more than anything," Astoria replied. "If the worst should happen, I would expect to see Mia on a regular basis. I would also file another claim for custody."

"The court's decision would be final," Zoe warned. "To get another hearing would need fresh evidence that Mia was better off in your care."

"Then I would find that evidence," Astoria said firmly. "I will not give up on my daughter, Miss Ashcroft. Not again."

"And how can the courts be sure you won't abandon your daughter again?" Zoe asked. "I have to be honest Miss Greengrass, your previous behaviour is a serious mark against your name."

"Astoria was ill when she left Mia," Ron said fiercely, defending the witch he loved. "Her marriage was in tatters thanks to her husband's neglect, and she'd suffered a tragic miscarriage. She was in pieces and she was so broken that she thought her daughter would be better off without her. That won't happen again, first because she's stronger now and second because she's got me at her side."

"I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Ron," Astoria said, smiling up at her boyfriend. "He's been a tower of strength for me. Our relationship is healthy and loving, unlike the toxic one I had with my ex-husband. Ron would never let me fall back into the darkness Draco pushed me into."

Zoe nodded, furiously scribbling notes in her notepad. Looking back up at the couple she then proceeded to ask them about their childcare arrangements back in Portugal.

"If we get custody of Mia, we will be hiring a nanny," Ron said. "Just to help Astoria adjust to being a mother again," he added quickly when he spotted the frown on the older witch's face.

"This is a fresh start for all of us, and I would rather get some help in the form of a nanny than fail Mia again," Astoria said.

"And what about family?" Zoe asked. "Do you have a support network of friends and family?"

"We have great friends back in Portugal," Ron replied, mentally making a note to get in touch with some of his team-mates and get them to write glowing recommendations about him and Astoria for him to pass along to their lawyer.

"And my parents are looking forward to getting to know their granddaughter again," Astoria added.

"I understand they've been estranged from Mia as long as you have," Zoe remarked, yet again consulting the notes she had on the case.

"I'm afraid so," Astoria said sombrely. "My parents have always thought I was making a mistake marrying Draco. They were convinced he would break my heart, and as such they were very wary of being involved with him and his family. Of course they were right and my marriage was a disaster. But once I'd gone, they found themselves pushed out of Mia's life. I know they regret not fighting for her, but they were just trying to make things easier for Mia. The last thing they wanted was for her to see them at odds with Draco and his parents. But that's in the past, and now they're looking forward to getting their granddaughter back."

"And what about your family, Mr Weasley? I understand they're supporting Mr Malfoy and his fiancée."

"Astoria's ex-husband is now engaged to one of my best friends," Ron explained. "My parents have known Hermione a long time. I'm sure they don't want to upset her, but at the end of the day I'm their son and I believe they will support us. Especially when they really get the chance to know Astoria. My family is a supportive one, and they'll support us when it comes to the crunch."

Zoe gave another crisp nod as she continued to make notes. She then asked the couple questions about the future, and if they saw themselves getting married and adding to their family. Both answers were affirmative, but both Ron and Astoria stressed that right now Mia was their priority. Marriage and more children were years down the line for the couple, all they cared about right now was getting Mia back with Astoria.

"Thank you for your time," Zoe said as she rose to her feet. "My report will be submitted by the end of the week."

"Can you at least tell us how we've done?" Astoria asked.

"I'm afraid not," Zoe replied with a shake of her head. "My report is confidential, and not complete until I've spoken to Mr Malfoy, his fiancée and Mia. You'll find out the results of my report when the hearing begins. Thank you for your time."

With a final nod of her head, the witch from child's services left the hotel suite. Pike stayed long enough to inform the couple that he thought the meeting had gone very well, before he also left. Once alone, Ron and Astoria dissected the meeting, but in the end all they could do was wait and hope that they'd made a positive impression on the witch that would play such a large part in determining where Mia ended up.

* * *

Draco and Hermione's visit from family services took place the day after Astoria and Ron's. The visit was a late afternoon one so that Mia didn't have to miss school. Draco and Hermione had also decided that Zara should be allowed to be present at the meeting. After all, she was part of the family and any decision the court made would affect her as well. Draco and Hermione had explained the visit to their children, but had reassured them that it wasn't anything to worry about and that no-one would be taking Mia anywhere. Even so, Mia was still skittish and she nearly jumped out of her skin when the doorbell rang.

"It's okay princess, it's just Uncle Blaise with the nice witch from the Ministry," Draco said as he went to answer the door, hoping that the witch from family services was indeed nice.

When Draco opened the door, Blaise entered with a middle aged witch who introduced herself as Zoe Ashcroft. Draco and Hermione both introduced themselves along with Mia and Zara. Mia was timid in her greeting, whereas Zara gave the older witch a scrutinising look.

"Are you here to take my sister away?" she demanded.

"Zara," Hermione scolded lightly, even though she couldn't blame her daughter for being protective of Mia.

"No sweetheart, I'm not taking anyone away," Zoe said with a friendly smile which she aimed at the two little girls. "I'm just here to talk."

"To me?" Mia asked quietly.

"In a little while," Zoe answered. "But for now, why don't you play with your sister while I talk to your parents."

"I'll stay with the girls," Blaise offered.

"While we're on our feet, maybe we can start with a tour of the house," Zoe suggested.

Hermione led the tour, although she let Draco do most of the talking. When they reached the girl's room, Draco explained that it was their choice to share a room and convert the spare room into a playroom. He wanted to make it clear that if she wanted it, Mia could have her own room at the drop of a hat.

"May I ask why you chose to live here?" Zoe asked as they returned downstairs and settled at the kitchen table. "Not that it's not a lovely house," she added, not wanting to offend Hermione. "But it's not somewhere you chose together, is it?"

"No, this is my house," Hermione answered. "We did talk about finding somewhere new together, but we didn't want to move too quickly for the girls. We thought it was best to give them a chance to live together first before we settled in somewhere new. We didn't want to everything to be happening at once."

"You mean the wedding?" Zoe asked.

"Yes," Draco answered with a nod. "Our relationship is not just about the two of us, we've known that from the beginning. Therefore we've taken things slowly and the girls have been part of every major decision we've made. They knew about the proposal before I asked Hermione to marry me, and they were consulted on living together."

"So if one of them had raised objections?"

"We would have waited until they were ready," Hermione answered. "Those two little girls are the most important thing in our universe. Everything we do is centred around them. We wouldn't do anything to make either one of them unhappy or uncomfortable."

"But you think this process is making them uncomfortable," Zoe stated. "I read the report your lawyer filed with the court. You feel as though Miss Greengrass's presence is having a negative effect on Mia."

"We can't deny that Mia has been unsettled since Astoria has returned," Draco answered carefully. Blaise had warned them against speaking out about Astoria, and if at all possible to try and not let their distaste for her show. "But this is all very new to her. Astoria left her when she was only young and she's spent the last few years learning to cope without her. We've even made a new family with Hermione and Zara. I won't lie, having Astoria back has been hard on us all."

"But she's going to be part of your lives now, no matter how the court's decision goes. How do you feel about that?"

"Astoria is Mia's biological mother and I would never deny her access to our daughter," Draco said. "However, my main concern is Mia and her happiness. As long as my daughter is happy, I'm happy."

"If you retained custody, would you have a problem with Miss Greengrass visiting your daughter?"

"No, not if that's what the courts decide," Draco lied. If things went their way he was going to do everything in his power to get Astoria out of their lives for good.

"And would you visit your daughter is your ex-wife was granted custody?" Zoe questioned.

"What sort of a question is that? Of course I would," Draco spluttered. "Mia is my daughter and I love her. Nothing will ever change that. Not where she lives, or who she lives with."

"No matter what the court decides, Mia is our family," Hermione insisted, taking hold of Draco's hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze. "No-one can take that away from us."

"Let's talk childcare," Zoe said, changing the subject. "I understand you both work."

"We do, and both Mia and Zara attend school during the day," Hermione answered. "Most days either Draco or I are finished in time to pick the girls up, but if we're not Draco's mother or one of our friends pick them up and have them for a couple of hours. We've got a vast support network to help us out, but wherever we can, we look after our children ourselves."

"And the girls get along with their babysitters?"

"They do," Draco replied with a nod. "They love my parents, and my parents dote on their granddaughters. Our friends also have children, so when the girls are with them, they get to spend time with their friends."

"The girls seem close," Zoe remarked, looking over her shoulder to where she could see the two girls sitting on the floor, their heads close together as they whispered together like co-conspirators.

"They are," Draco said softly. "They're sisters and they love each other."

"Tell me about the Weasleys," Zoe said. "Initial reports suggest they support your claim for custody, but yet it's one of their sons on the opposing side."

"The Weasleys are like family to me," Hermione answered. "My own parents are muggles and don't quite fit into the wizarding world, so the Weasleys took me under their wing. Ron and I were once close, but we haven't seen each other in years. You'd have to ask the Weasleys themselves about Ron, but I know they support Draco and I, and they love both Mia and Zara as part of the family."

Making more notes, Zoe asked a few more questions about the couple's plans for the future and how they were coping as a family. Satisfied she had everything, she then asked if she could speak with Mia. With the ground floor being open plan, Draco and Hermione took Zara outside for a bit of fresh air while Zoe moved into the front room to talk to Mia, who had moved to sit on the sofa beside Blaise.

"Hi, I'm Zoe," Zoe said kindly, smiling at Mia. "There's no need to be scared of me, Mia. I just want to ask you some questions. All I want you to do is answer honestly."

"You say whatever you feel Mia," Blaise said when his god-daughter turned to look at him. "No-one is going to be mad at you for telling Zoe how you feel."

"Okay," Mia whispered with a slight nod as she turned back to the witch sitting opposite her. "I'm ready, Miss Zoe."

"I think you're smart girl, Mia," Zoe began. "You know what this is about, don't you?"

"Yes," Mia answered quietly. "My other Mummy is back and wants to take me to live with her. But I want to stay with Daddy and Mummy and Zara."

"Do you not like your other Mummy?" Zoe asked. "She's been visiting you, hasn't she?"

"I don't know her," Mia answered with a shrug. "She's not like Daddy and Mummy. She talks to me like I was a pet, or an idiot. I'm only five, but I'm not stupid."

"Of course you're not," Zoe said with a slight smile. She'd been worried that Mia was going to be very withdrawn and shy, but even though she was clearly nervous, there was some spark to the young girl. "But would you like to get to know her?"

"Only if she doesn't take me away," Mia said firmly. "She said she was going to take me away and I would never see Daddy and Mummy again, and that made me sad. I don't want to go away."

"You like it here?"

"Yes, it's awesome," Mia answered with a smile. "I have a sister and a real Mummy. Mummy and Daddy are going to get married you know, and I'm going to wear a pretty dress with Zara."

"Do you like sharing a room with Zara?" Zoe asked.

"Yes," Mia answered instantly. "She sometimes snores though," she added as an afterthought. "But it's fun having a sister. We can play together and when I wake up and it's dark, I know Zara is there."

"She looks out for you?"

"Yes, we're both five, but her birthday is first," Mia answered. "She's also braver than me."

"You're not brave?" Zoe asked.

"No," Mia answered with a whisper. "I'm scared."

"What are you scared of?"

"That'll you take me away and I'll never see my Daddy, or my Mummy or my sister again," Mia confessed in a choked voice as a few tears seeped out of the corner of her eyes. "Please don't take me away," she sobbed as Blaise put his arms around her to comfort her. "Don't let her take me away, Uncle Blaise."

"No-one is taking you anywhere, sweetheart," Blaise soothed. "Is that all?" he asked the witch sitting opposite him. "As you can see, Mia is struggling with all this upheaval."

"I can, and I'm sorry for upsetting her that wasn't my intention," Zoe apologised.

"It's not your fault," Blaise said. "But you can see why we need this sorted as soon as possible. Mia needs a settled home."

Agreeing with Blaise, that a quick solution was the best thing for Mia, Zoe announced she was finished. She stuck around long enough to see the way Mia ran to Hermione for support, before she thanked the couple for their time and left the family to get on with their day.

"Well?" Draco asked Blaise the second the witch from the Ministry had gone. "How did it go?"

"I would say that unless either of you laid into Astoria, it went well," Blaise answered. "It was obvious to see that Mia is happy here, and she was very clear on the fact she wants to stay here. I can't see any reason you won't get a good report."

"So now what?" Hermione asked.

"We wait for the reports to come in and for a date for the final hearing to be set," Blaise answered. "But we have to be ready for when the date comes in. Now we prepare for all eventualities."


	23. Chapter 23

Molly felt slightly guilty for luring her youngest son to The Burrow on false pretences, but she kept reminding herself that it was for a good cause. She had no doubt that Ron genuinely loved Astoria, but she couldn't stand back and watch them tear Hermione's family apart. She would do whatever it took to keep Mia with the parents who truly loved her, and in the process if Ron found out what his girlfriend was truly like it would be a blessing in Molly's opinion. She would love to be able to tell Ron everything she knew about Astoria, but she'd agreed to keep quiet for the sake of the custody hearing.

On the morning Ron was due at The Burrow, Hermione arrived before him in order to thank Molly for her help and make sure that she was still happy to help her and Draco. Hermione and Draco appreciated the support they were getting from the Weasleys, but both of them understood how hard it was for the family since Ron was firmly on Astoria's side.

"I just wish we could tell him the truth," Molly said with a sigh when Hermione noticed she seemed hesitant about the visit. "I hate to think of him grieveing for a child that never was."

"I promise that if I think I can tell him and he won't go running back to Astoria and repeat it, I'll tell him the truth," Hermione vowed. Like Molly she hated the fact Ron was mourning for a life that had never existed, however she was aware that as much as she wanted to help her friend her family came first and she wasn't going to do anything to jeopardise their chances in the custody hearing.

"Let's hope that we can make him see sense about that horrid woman he's with," Molly agreed. "How can he not see what she's truly like?"

"From what I've seen of Astoria, she's extremely good at hiding her true nature and showing people what they want to see," Hermione replied. "She had Draco fooled long enough for him to actually marry her."

"I hope Ron doesn't make the same mistake," Molly said with a shudder, dreading the possibility that Astoria might end up as her daughter-in-law.

Before the two witches could say any more on the subject the pair heard the floo network in the front room activate. Less than a minute later, Ron sauntered into the kitchen with a smile on his face. However, the second he saw Hermione his smile dropped and he paused where he stood.

"What's going on?" he demanded. "I thought you were finally ready to listen, Mum."

"I will listen, on the condition that you speak to Hermione," Molly said. "We'll both listen to what you have to say, but you have to promise to give Hermione the same chance."

"Please Ron," Hermione begged, sensing Ron was going to refuse and that Molly was going to have to get tough with her son. "We've been friends a long time, don't I deserve just an hour of your time."

"One hour," Ron agreed moodily as he slumped down at the kitchen table. "But I'm warning you now, nothing you say will change anything. I love Astoria and I'm going to do everything in my power to help her get her daughter back."

"Even if it means breaking up a happy family to do so?" Hermione questioned.

"We're not doing this to hurt you and Malfoy, Hermione," Ron said quietly as Molly began to make a pot of tea. "We just want Astoria's daughter to be where she belongs – with her mother."

"She is with her mother," Hermione said quietly. "I may not have given birth to Mia, but I love her with all my heart. I've been more of a mother to her than Astoria ever was."

"I know Astoria struggled with motherhood, but we believe she had post-natal depression that wasn't diagnosed," Ron said. "Between that and her first miscarriage, she was in no fit state to be a mother."

"And she is now?" Hermione asked as Molly put three cups of tea onto the table and sat down next to her.

"It's what she wants more than anything in the world," Ron confided as he picked up his tea and took a small sip. "Surely as a mother you can understand her pain of being separated from her child."

"I can," Hermione said with a nod. "But as a mother I know nothing is more important than the well-being of my child. I don't want to sound harsh Ron, but Astoria's feelings don't matter here. Hell, mine and Draco's feelings don't matter either. The only person who matters in all of this is Mia. We all need to do what is right for her."

"Which is what we're doing," Ron said snappishly. "A child should be with their biological mother. Mia should be with Astoria."

"No, Mia should be with the parent who has always put her first," Hermione retorted, working hard to remain calm and not snap at Ron. "Mia should be with the parent she feels safe and loved with. Taking Mia away from Draco is not what's best for her. It's a selfish thing to do, and quite honestly Ron, I can't believe you would stand back and watch a little girl have her entire life torn apart by two selfish adults."

"How dare you," Ron spat, slamming his cup down onto the table so hard that drops of tea slopped onto the wooden surface. "You have no idea what it's like for Astoria and I. You've got your perfect family, but we've got nothing. We lost our child."

"And taking Mia doesn't make up for that loss," Hermione retorted. "Mia is not a replacement for your child. Be honest Ron, would you be here if Astoria hadn't lost your baby?"

Hermione question stumped Ron for several seconds, and even though he then said that they would be trying to get custody of Mia regardless of what had happened, Hermione and Molly didn't believe him. It didn't even look as though Ron believed himself, but he quickly brushed past the subject and warned Hermione that using their friendship wasn't going to turn him against Astoria.

"So what you're saying is that she means more to you than me," Hermione said. She understood that as his girlfriend, Astoria came higher up in Ron's priorities than her, but at the moment it felt as though their entire friendship was being tossed aside in favour of the former Slytherin.

"Well Malfoy clearly means more to you than I do," Ron snapped back. "You're supporting him over me."

"This isn't about you versus Draco," Hermione said with a sigh. "It's not even about me versus Astoria. I just think it's sad that all our years of friendship are being destroyed."

"I'm not the one doing the destroying, Hermione," Ron said. "We can still be friends once all this is over. If you're going to stay with Malfoy, I guess it'll be easier if we're all friends."

"What do you mean, if I'm going to stay with Draco?" Hermione questioned with a frown. "We're getting married, Ron."

"Which is a big mistake in my opinion," Ron snorted. "I'm saying this as your friend, Hermione. You need to get away before he sucks you in the way he did with Astoria. He almost destroyed her, and I would hate to see the same thing happen to you."

"Funny, I could give you the same warning about Astoria," Hermione snapped. "She's poison, Ron."

"Don't you dare insult Astoria, she's worth ten of your precious Malfoy," Ron snarled angrily. "You'll see Hermione, you'll see what he's truly like when we expose his true colours in court. By the time we've finished with him the courts will be rushing to take Mia away from him. We're going to destroy him."

"And I think we're done here," Hermione said quietly as she rose to her feet.

"That's it?" Ron sneered. "You're going to walk away because you can't twist me around your little finger?"

"No, I'm walking away because it's clear that nothing I say is going to get through to you," Hermione replied. "You're so in love with Astoria that you don't care that you're tearing a little girl's life apart. The Ron I thought I knew would care about the fact his actions were causing a five year old girl such heartache. My friend would care that Mia was in such a state that she cries herself to sleep almost every night. You would have cared once over, Ron. You wouldn't have let Astoria cause so much pain to an innocent girl."

"Of course I care that Mia is upset," Ron argued. "I'm not a heartless monster, Hermione. I wish there was some other way to handle things, but Malfoy left us with no choice. He's the one backing us into the corner by not handing Astoria's daughter to her. If he really cared about his daughter he would do the right thing and give her to Astoria. Blame us all you want, Hermione, but your precious fiancé can end this in moments. He can stop Mia's suffering, all he has to do is give her back to her mother."

"It's never going to happen Ron," Hermione said. "Draco will never give our daughter to a woman who's already broken her heart. She belongs with us. Just think about it, Ron. Can you honestly say that she'll be better off with you and Astoria, living with people she doesn't know in a country she doesn't know? Please think about Mia and the fact she's got a family with Draco and I. Please do the right thing, Ron. Stop this before Mia ends up even more hurt than she already is."

Quickly thanking Molly for her hospitality, Hermione departed The Burrow, hopefully leaving Ron to think over what she'd said. Not that she was very hopeful as it was painfully clear that Ron was so enchanted by Astoria that he couldn't see the truth, either about the witch he was dating or what they were doing. Hermione doubted anything she'd said had really penetrated with Ron, and she certainly didn't harbour any real hopes that he would convince Astoria to back off and leave Mia alone.

Returning home, Hermione found Draco and the girls playing in the garden. Even though it was rather chilly outside, the girls were both wrapped up and Mia looked to be enjoying herself. When Draco spotted her standing at the back door, he left the girls to it and made his way over to his fiancée.

"How do you fancy a rabbit or two?" he asked, kissing her on the cheek.

"Excuse me?" Hermione frowned, rather taken aback by the odd question.

"The girls want a pet," Draco said. "I thought we could start small with rabbits, before getting something bigger like a dog which requires more responsibility. I'm sure we can get a large hutch and a run for the garden."

"As long as I'm not the one stuck cleaning it out all the time, I say go for it," Hermione replied.

"Girls, Mummy says yes, we can have rabbits," Draco called to the two five year olds.

"Yay, Mummy," Zara cried excitedly as she and Mia ran over to Hermione and gave her a hug. "I want to call my rabbit, Carrot."

"Okay," Hermione said with a chuckle, ushering the girls inside. She knew that Draco wasn't seriously thinking about getting rabbits right now, it was just his way of keeping the girls minds off the situation with Astoria. "Why don't you girls go upstairs and make lists of possible names for the rabbits."

Excited at the prospect of getting some pets, Zara and Mia ran off upstairs, leaving Hermione to talk to Draco. She knew her fiancé would be itching to know how it went with Ron. She only wished she had some better news to tell him.

"Let's guess, Weasley wouldn't listen to a word you said," Draco predicted, reading Hermione's expression perfectly.

"He's too infatuated with Astoria to hear a word against her," Hermione said with a sigh. "I'm sorry Draco, I did try."

"I know you did," Draco said, pulling Hermione into his arms. "I guess I was just hoping that on his own he would be reasonable."

"I'd hoped so too," Hermione replied. "I was hoping that he would listen enough for me to tell him about the baby. He mentioned the baby she'd supposedly lost, but it was clear that if I'd told him the truth, he wouldn't have believed me. All it would have done was alert Astoria that we're onto her."

"As painful as it's going to be for him, Weasley will find out the truth soon enough," Draco said with a sigh. Ron wasn't his favourite person, especially now he was trying to help take his daughter away from him, but he didn't wish the pain he was inevitably going to suffer on him. "And you were right not to tell him. We can't risk Astoria finding out that we're onto her. Blaise wants to surprise her in court by asking for her medical records."

"Will it work?" Hermione asked. "Astoria's lawyers aren't going to be able to talk their way out of handing them over, are they?"

"Blaise is confident it'll work," Draco replied. "He popped round while you were out. He's expecting to get a date on Monday, likely for the week after."

"Will we be ready for then?"

"We will," Draco confirmed with a nod. "I have my healers letter saying I can't have children until he's removed the charm on me, and he's also willing to testify if necessary. Blaise is going to spend the week gathering statements from friends and family, so he can present them to court and show that Mia is better off with us."

"And the contingency plan in case it all goes wrong?" Hermione asked. She didn't want to even have to think about running away, but if the worst came to the worst, she knew they had to be prepared.

"It's all set," Draco said. "We need to check if there's anything we can't leave behind in the next week. Father says it's going to be better if we leave with as little as possible. We'll have the money to buy new, but if there is anything you can't live without, we need to have it on us on the final day of the hearing, or have it at the manor ready to go."

"I really hope it doesn't come to that, Draco," Hermione confessed in a whisper.

"Me too," Draco replied, pulling Hermione back into his arms. Running away was the last thing he wanted to do either, but if it was the only way he would get to keep his daughter then absconding was their only option.


	24. Chapter 24

While they waited for the next part in the custody hearing proceedings, Astoria's visits to Mia had to continue as arranged. However, following what had transpired on the previous visit, Draco was insistent that the remainder of the visits were to take place at home, with both him and Hermione present. Astoria wasn't at all happy at being forced to go to the home her ex-husband shared with his new partner, but knowing how it would look at the hearing if she refused to attend the visits, she went along with what Draco wanted.

Not that the visits were overly successful. Mia was very clearly scarred from her previous encounter with her biological mother, and she refused to be left alone with Astoria. Astoria still had no idea how to interact with her daughter, and it was almost painful watching her try and form some sort of attachment to Mia. With the visits being fraught with tension, and extremely uncomfortable for all concerned, Astoria tended to find an excuse to leave early. Not that Draco and Hermione minded as it was only once Astoria had gone and Mia was sure she wasn't coming back that they got to see the real Mia.

Fortunately for all concerned, Blaise's predications about a quick hearing proved correct. Once the reports by Zoe Ashcroft had been submitted, the committee took a few days to look over the reports and speak in person to the witch who had carried out the home visits. A date was then set for the following week, and Blaise was hopeful that it would only take a couple of days for the committee to reach a final decision.

On the Monday the hearing was due to start, Hermione and Draco made the decision to give the girls the week off school, and while they headed off to the Ministry to fight for their family, Mia and Zara went to the manor to spend the day with Lucius and Narcissa. Draco had also dropped off a couple of bags at the manor, just in case they were going to need them later in the week to run. Although at the moment, Draco was focusing on the hearing, rather than worrying about what would happen if things didn't go their way and Astoria was handed custody.

"Don't look so nervous," Blaise said to Draco as they waited with Hermione to enter the hearing room. Astoria and Ron had arrived a few minutes after them and were sitting further down the corridor with their lawyer, looking pretty confident.

"How can I look anything but nervous?" Draco responded with a snort. "I'm fighting to keep hold of my daughter, and even though we've got a strong case, we can't be sure the judge won't be caught up by Astoria's lies and hand her custody of my little girl."

"We've got to keep positive, Draco," Hermione said as she took hold of her fiancé's hand. "We can't let them see that we're nervous."

"Hermione's right, the more confident we look, the more they're going to be rattled wondering what we have up our sleeves," Blaise said. "And don't forget, we do have some pretty strong ammunition to fire at Astoria. By the time I'm finished with her, it's going to need a judge with no sense whatsoever to award her custody."

"Let's hope you're right," Draco muttered as he took a few deep breaths and shut his nerves away. Within seconds, he was his usual composed self and he swore that he would remain calm and confident throughout the proceedings.

A couple of minutes later, they were summoned into the hearing room and the two couples and their lawyers set up at the two tables provided for them in front of the large table the five committee members were sitting at. It was the same five people that had been at the previous hearing, and once again Judge Henson announced that he would be the one leading the hearing.

"Before we begin, I just want to make sure that there's no way an amicable arrangement can be reached between the two parties," Judge Henson said, looking expectantly from Draco to Astoria.

"I'm sorry judge, but no," Blaise answered. "Unless of course Miss Greengrass is willing to withdraw her claim for custody."

"That will not be happening," Pike snapped. "Miss Greengrass is here to get her daughter back."

"That's all I needed to know," Judge Henson said, holding up his hand to stop the two lawyers from launching into their speeches. "In that case, let's get things moving. Before we begin, I have to say that it's always a sad day when the Ministry has to intervene in the running of a family, but it is our job to ensure that the child at the heart of the matter, in this case Mia Malfoy, is in the best possible place for her. Let's try and remember that this hearing is all about Miss Malfoy, and deciding what is best for her and her future."

Judge Henson paused, letting his words sink into the warring parties opposite him. Even though a judgement had yet to be made, they'd had the recommendation of the family services officer who had visited both couples and had read her reports, meaning he and his fellow committee members already had some opinions on what would be best for the young girl at the heart of the issue. Judge Henson also suspected that at least one of the couples in front of them needed reminding that the hearing was about Mia, not themselves.

"We've received the reports from Miss Ashcroft following her visits to both sides, and we've gone over them in length and spoken in detail to her," Judge Henson began. "I think it's clear that both Mr Malfoy and Miss Greengrass can offer their daughter a stable living environment. However, we cannot ignore the statement Mia herself gave where she made it clear she wished to stay with her father. Nor can we ignore the fact that awarding custody to Miss Greengrass would mean uprooting Mia from her life and family here in Britain. On the other hand, Miss Greengrass is her biological mother and seems genuine in her desire to reconnect with her daughter. What may seem like a simple case, needs careful thought. And to that end, I would like to hear from both parties. As the one making the claim for custody, I'd like to hear from Miss Greengrass first."

Draco glanced over at his former wife at the judge's words and saw the look of horror on her face at the prospect of getting up and speaking. However, her lawyer seemed to ease her nerves by informing her that she wasn't expected to speak, it was him who would give the speech. In a way, Draco was disappointed that Astoria wasn't going to be speaking, as he was hoping she would have slipped up and revealed her true colours, and her real reasons for wanting Mia.

Remembering his lesson from last time, Pike didn't rise to his feet as he began to talk about why Astoria should be handed custody. Draco was annoyed to hear that he was going for the sympathy vote, and every few minutes there was a reference to her tragic miscarriages, or her fragile state of mind following Mia's birth. Her lawyer made it sound as though she'd spent years in a pit of misery and it was only with the love and support of Ron that she'd managed to turn her life around and be in any sort of position to raise her daughter.

"They're lapping this up Blaise," Draco whispered to his best friend, watching the way the committee was listening with pure sympathy to the testimony of Astoria's lawyer.

"Don't worry Draco, all they're doing is digging a hole for themselves," Blaise whispered back.

By the time Pike had finished, it was clear the committee were feeling a great deal of sympathy for Astoria. However, it was then Blaise's turn to speak and without saying one bad thing about Astoria, he gave Draco's story. He told the court about Draco putting his daughter first, both when he was married to Astoria and then as a single father. He stressed that Draco had been there for Mia every day of her life, and touched upon the close bond the pair had. He then brought Hermione into the picture and spoke passionately about how she and Draco had created a warm loving family for both Mia and Zara, and how much damage it would cause to all four of them if they should be callously torn apart.

Once Blaise had finished, the committee were now looking at Draco with sympathy as they'd heard how much he'd done for his daughter. Blaise had made him sound nothing short of a saint, and while Draco knew he was far from perfect, he was happy to let his friend paint him in such a good light.

During the speech Pike had made, and directly after it, Astoria and Ron had been looking smug, but by the time Blaise had finished talking, they were both looking nervous. As much as they could play on Astoria's miscarriages and her likely depression after she'd given birth, they couldn't deny that Draco had been there for Mia in such a way that they were asking a lot of a judge to take her away from him. Still, they weren't finished yet and they submitted character statements from friends in Portugal, along with those from Astoria's parents, praising the couple and vowing support if they got custody of Mia. Not to be outdone, Blaise had the same sort of statements for Draco and Hermione, and he made a big deal of the fact several of the statements came from Ron's family.

"Are we right in assuming that your family, Mr Weasley, are supporting Mr Malfoy and Miss Granger?" Judge Henson asked, speaking directly to Ron.

"Hermione is an old friend of the family, and my family don't feel comfortable abandoning her," Ron replied. "But I know that if we're granted custody of Mia, my family will be there to support us."

Judge Henson nodded, but his expression revealed that he had his doubts about what Ron was saying. The statements from the Weasleys seemed pretty emphatic in their support of Draco and Hermione. That's not to say they wouldn't lend their support to Ron if things went his and Astoria's way, but it was clear from their statements that the family thought Mia should remain where she was.

"I think we have a lot to consider here," Judge Henson said. "Before we break for lunch, is there anything else which needs bringing to our immediate attention?"

"There is something," Blaise said solemnly. "I'd like to put a request in to have Miss Greengrasses medical records revealed to the court."

Blaise's request was followed by a stunned silence, which was broken by Astoria hissing in her lawyer's ear. Immediately he shot to his feet and demanded to know what Blaise was playing at, and reminding everyone that Astoria's medical records were confidential.

"It is an unusual request, Mr Zabini," Judge Henson remarked.

"I understand your honour, but we have reason to believe Miss Greengrass is not telling the truth in regards to certain things," Blaise replied.

"How dare you," Astoria spat, jumping to her feet and glaring at Draco. No doubt she would have stormed over to him, but Ron grabbed her arm to hold her in place. "You're going to say I wasn't depressed after having Mia, aren't you? You know I never sought treatment for my problems, but that doesn't mean they didn't exist."

"We have already established that Miss Greengrass didn't seen treatment for her postnatal depression at the time, but was subsequently diagnosed at a later date," Pike said.

"This isn't about postnatal depression," Blaise said. "This is about her pregnancy claim."

"Claim?" Pike spluttered. "I do not like that implication, Mr Zabini. I will not have my client called a liar. It is horrendous to suggest she faked a miscarriage when it traumatised her so much she left her only child behind."

"Until we see Miss Greengrasses records we can't know for certain that she was pregnant," Blaise argued. "I'm afraid my client is not prepared to accept her word on this when she's very capable of lying."

"Would it affect anything if the claims were borne out and Miss Greengrass had indeed been pregnant shortly before leaving your client?" Judge Henson asked Blaise.

"Yes, your honour," Blaise answered, his dark eyes glittering with triumph as he prepared to play his first ace of the hearing. "If Miss Greengrass was indeed pregnant then it would prove she was unfaithful to my client as we have definitive proof that Mr Malfoy could not have fathered a child."

"Liar," Astoria screamed. "You can have children Draco, Mia is proof of that."

"We are not denying Mia is Mr Malfoy's daughter," Blaise said. "However, shortly after her birth Mr Malfoy had a semi-permanent contraception charm placed on himself. That charm is still in place to this day, and we have evidence from his healer that Mr Malfoy could not have fathered children in that time."

"In that case, I grant you your request Mr Zabini," Judge Henson replied. "Tomorrow morning, Miss Greengrasses medical records will be made available for the hearing and we can look into matters then. For now, I think it's best to dismiss the hearing for the day."

As he rose to his feet with Hermione and Blaise, Draco couldn't help but give Astoria a smug smirk as he walked past where she was sitting stunned in her chair next to Ron. If she was going to get out of the mess he knew Blaise had just out her in, then she was going to have to do some quick thinking. Right at this moment, they were on top and Astoria was now going to have to fight to regain her position as come tomorrow she was going to be exposed for a liar.


	25. Chapter 25

Astoria had been brimming with confidence at the start of the custody hearing. Her lawyer had spoken incredibly well, and she knew he'd drawn the sympathy of the committee when he talked about her struggles with depression. Blaise's speech had been a bit of a blow, but it was to be expected that her ex-husband would put on a strong showing, so she'd tried not to let it affect her positivity. However, just when she thought they'd had a good morning, the contraceptive bombshell had been dropped and Astoria saw everything slipping away from her.

She couldn't even bring herself to react to Draco's smug smirk as he left the hearing with Hermione and Blaise. She was in total meltdown, and it was with a heavy heart that she quietly informed Ron and her lawyer that they needed to talk. Both wizards had already picked up on Astoria's discomfort, and they braced themselves for the worst as they returned to the hotel.

"Why do I get the feeling I'm not going to like this?" Pike muttered once the trio were settled in the couple's sumptuous suite.

"You're not," Astoria whispered.

"Don't tell me Malfoy can make his case," Ron grumbled. "Did you know he'd been to the healers?"

"No," Astoria replied with a shake of his head. "Not that it would have made much difference, I can count on one hand the number of times we'd had sex after Mia was born. I'd given him his precious daughter, so he wasn't interested in me."

"Please tell me you didn't lie about the pregnancy," Pike demanded sharply.

"No, I was pregnant," Astoria confessed. "But I knew Draco wasn't the father. He couldn't have been."

"So you were having an affair?" Ron asked quietly. He found he couldn't really bring himself to blame Astoria for having an affair, as he knew just how badly Draco had treated her during their marriage.

"Yes," Astoria whispered. "He was an older wizard, and unlike Draco, he was interested in me. It was him who helped me leave. He gave me a chance at a life away from Draco."

"It's not ideal, but we can still use it," Pike mused thoughtfully. "You were stuck in an unhappy marriage and you had a brief affair. We'll deny that you knew the child wasn't Draco's, and instead say that you thought it was more likely to be your husband's baby. We can then say the miscarriage sent your depression into overdrive and you took the chance to run off with the man you'd had an affair with. How long were you with him after you left Draco?"

"Not long, but that's not the problem," Astoria replied.

"What aren't you telling us Astoria?" Pike asked forcefully. "I can't help you unless I know everything."

"I didn't have a miscarriage," Astoria whispered as she wrapped her arms around herself and began to cry. "I had an abortion," she managed through her tears.

"Shit, this just keeps getting better," Pike exploded.

"I'm sorry," Astoria sobbed.

"It's alright," Ron said soothingly as he gathered his girlfriend in his arms. "But why did you lie to us? Why lie to me? It wouldn't have changed how I felt about you."

"I felt guilty about it," Astoria confessed, speaking to Ron and ignoring her simmering lawyer. "When I found out I was pregnant, I was terrified. I was already trapped in a loveless marriage, and I was fairly certain the baby couldn't have been Draco's. I could have slept with him and then tried to pass the baby off as his, but the idea horrified me. I knew if I had another child, I would never escape. I knew another baby would kill me, so I had an abortion. I didn't bank on the guilt though, and I couldn't carry on as though nothing had happened so I ran. I ran and I pretended I'd lost the baby. It was the only way I could cope."

"I wish you had told me, I could have helped you," Ron said gently.

"I didn't want you to hate me," Astoria whispered.

"I could never hate you," Ron promised as he wiped at Astoria's tears with his thumb.

"It's not great, but I still think we can work it," Pike said, interrupting the moment between the couple. "However, we need to pre-empt the public revealing of the facts. With your permission, I'll leave you and start working on something to present first thing in the morning."

"Do what you can," Astoria said. "Although there is likely going to be one more thing that crops us."

"What now?" Pike demanded with a frustrated sigh. He was sure his fee wasn't large enough to cover the extra work he was doing to try and win Astoria's case.

"There won't be any record of my third pregnancy on my medical notes," Astoria answered.

"Why not?" Ron demanded sharply.

"I hadn't gotten around to visiting the healers to have it confirmed," Astoria admitted. "I'd been pregnant twice before, and all the home-made tests were positive. And if you recall Ron, I wanted to wait before telling anyone, but you were too excited to wait."

"Yeah, I was a bit gung-ho," Ron admitted sheepishly as he recalled that he'd announced their pregnancy to his team-mates almost as soon as Astoria had told him the news.

"But what about the miscarriage?" Pike asked. "Even if the pregnancy hadn't been confirmed, the miscarriage would have been documented in your records when you went to hospital."

"I didn't go to hospital," Astoria whispered.

"What do you mean, you didn't go to hospital?" Ron asked with a frown. "You told me you went to hospital."

"I couldn't face it," Astoria sobbed. "I woke up in the middle of the night in agony. The bed was covered in blood and I knew I'd lost the baby. I couldn't bear to go to the hospital and have them confirm my baby was dead. Not alone. I couldn't do it by myself, Ron."

"I'm sorry," Ron whispered, gathering a crying Astoria in his arms and shedding a few guilty tears himself. He could understand Astoria not wanting to go to the hospital alone, and he could also understand her lying about going so that he didn't feel even worse than he already did for not being there for her when she lost their baby.

"I'm sorry Ron, I should have gone to the hospital," Astoria wailed. "Now Blaise will use it against me and say I was never pregnant. They'll try and make it sound as though our baby never existed."

"Sod what they say, I know the truth," Ron hissed. "And I'm sorry I wasn't there for you."

"Don't worry about the lack of records, I won't stand for them trying to claim you weren't pregnant," Pike reassured Astoria in a gentle voice. "Just because you didn't go to the hospital, didn't mean it didn't happen. I won't deny that all this is a bit of a set-back, but we can get out of it. Keep the faith Astoria. I'm not finished yet. We can still get custody of your daughter."

"Of course we can," Ron agreed. "We just have to be strong. Just a few more days and then we can go home and start our new life together. And you never know, in a couple of years we could be ready to try again for a new baby and then our family will be complete."

"That would be great," Astoria replied, even as she kept her head lowered so Ron couldn't see the look of distaste on her face at the idea of having another child.

* * *

Draco and Hermione arrived for the second day of the hearing, feeling confident that Astoria was going to be exposed as the master manipulator she truly was. While Draco was hoping exposing her lies would put an end to the hearing, Hermione was also hoping it would make Ron see sense. Besides having the hearing ended in their favour, all she really wanted was for Ron to see he was being used and that Astoria was lying to her for her own purposes.

When they arrived, shortly after Draco, Hermione and Blaise had settled at their table, Astoria and Ron looked as cosy as ever and they barely spared their opposition a glance as they settled at their table with their lawyer. There was an air of calm around the trio, and it certainly didn't look like they were worried about the day ahead.

"I don't like the look of that," Blaise muttered to Draco and Hermione.

"Me either," Draco agreed. "Why isn't she worried? It's going to come out she didn't have a miscarriage the first time and the baby wasn't even mine. Not to mention it's bound to emerge that she wasn't pregnant the second time."

"I guess we'll just have to wait and see what they've got planned," Blaise remarked with a slight frown.

Not that they had to wait long as no sooner had the hearing being declared open for the second day then Astoria's lawyer asked to speak. Before her medical records could even be looked at, he wanted to explain their contents to the court.

"Very well Mr Pike," Judge Henson said, giving Astoria's lawyer permission to speak.

Astoria's lawyer began by stressing that his client had no idea of the contraceptive charm Draco had secretly had placed upon himself. He then described how Astoria was feeling so unhappy in her marriage that she briefly had a liaison with another wizard. When she then discovered her pregnancy, she had no reason to think the child wasn't Draco's since she didn't know of the contraceptive charm. Unable to bear having another child with a man she was growing to hate, she made the soul-wrenching decision to abort her baby. Afterwards the guilt and the depression she was suffering from combined to leave her fearing that she wouldn't survive for much longer. She'd then reached out to the wizard she'd had a brief fling with and he'd helped her leave her husband and start a new life.

"Miss Greengrass is very sorry that she claimed it was a miscarriage that affected her, but it was the only way she could deal with the horrors she had to endure," Pike finished off. "She was depressed young witch, stuck in a loveless marriage with a child she hadn't bonded with, and she felt trapped. She took the only way out she could think of, and she's had to live with that choice for the rest of her life."

"Do you have anything to say, Mr Zabini?" Judge Henson asked.

"No, we just want the record to show that the child Miss Greengrass aborted was not Draco Malfoy's," Blaise said. "I have a sworn statement from Mr Malfoy's healer confirming that he performed the conception charm himself and has checked it every three months, and as of last week, it's still in place and hasn't been removed."

"We're happy to let the records show that Mr Malfoy wasn't the father of Miss Greengrasses second child," Judge Henson confirmed. "Although we do have our own questions to ask. While checking the records we can find no mention of the second miscarriage that has been so widely referenced in this hearing."

"Miss Greengrasses third pregnancy was still in the early stages when she miscarried," Pike supplied. "She hadn't had the pregnancy confirmed when she tragically lost the child."

"Then how could she be so sure she was even pregnant?" Judge Henson demanded.

"This was her third pregnancy, and all the home testing came back positive," Pike answered smoothly. "As for the miscarriage, Miss Greengrass awoke in the night in excruciating pain and a bed filled with blood. There was no way the child could have survived, and since her boyfriend was away at the time, she couldn't bring herself to go to the hospital alone. She suffered the trauma of losing her child all alone, and I really don't think we can judge her for being too grief-stricken to go to hospital by herself and be told what she already knew – that her baby was dead."

"Ron's buying this," Hermione hissed to Draco as she watched Ron place a comforting arm around Astoria. "I can't believe she's lied her way out of this."

"Weasley's not the only one buying this," Draco muttered, watching the committee and seeing the sympathy for Astoria in their eyes yet again.

"I think it's time to leave this for the time being," Judge Henson said. "Although I have to warn you Miss Greengrass, these lies, no matter why you told them, will not help your case. Honesty is always the best policy."

"I know, and I'm very sorry," Astoria said solemnly. "Until yesterday I didn't feel strong enough to even admit to myself that I had aborted my baby. It's such a painful time of my life, and all I want is the chance to have a fresh start with my darling daughter."

"Now is not the time for speeches, Miss Greengrass," Judge Henson interrupted. "You'll have your chance to speak at the end. For now, we've got some questions we want to ask."

For the rest of the morning the committee threw questions at the two couples. Most of the questions had been asked on the home visits, but it was chance for both couples to elaborate on their answers and sell themselves as the right people to be bringing up Mia. By lunchtime everyone was ready for a break, and even though Astoria and Ron had answered all their questions easily enough, Draco was confident he and Hermione showed more passion and they certainly showed that they knew Mia better than her biological mother and her boyfriend.

After lunch, Blaise submitted a few more statements of people who'd known Astoria when she was married to Draco and could testify as to her previous experience as a mother. Astoria's lawyer did try and get the statements dismissed as irrelevant, but Judge Henson let them be submitted into evidence. After that the only thing left to do was for Astoria and Draco to give their own statements as to why they should be awarded custody of their daughter.

As has been the way, Astoria went first. However, she really just repeated what her lawyer had said the previous day and while it clearly gained her sympathy, it did little to really explain why she now thought Mia would be better off with her. In fact Mia featured very little in her speech and it was mostly about her, and how she'd come through the difficulties of her past and was ready to start again.

Draco hadn't needed to listen to Astoria speak to know what not to do, as he was already aware that what he had to say wasn't about him, it was about Mia. Like Astoria, he could have repeated what Blaise had said earlier and laid out how he'd always been there for his daughter, but instead he chose to focus on the little girl who was the light of his life.

"Mia is happy," Draco began. "She's always being a shy child, but over the last couple of years, she's really began to blossom. She excels at school and she loves to learn. She has friends and a family here, and she loves them all. To take her away from everything she knows, would in my opinion, not only be cruel, but detrimental to her well-being. She's a young girl, who if left as she is, will develop into a talented and strong witch. My daughter has so much potential, all I'm asking is that you don't take that away from her. Mia's happy and loved, and at the end of the day, isn't that all that really matters?"

Even though his speech was short, far shorter than Astoria's, Draco felt as though it was perfect. Granted he could have gone on for ever about how amazing his little girl was, but he felt less was more. In his speech he'd shown that Mia was his priority and if the hearing didn't see that then they were fools. Beside him, Hermione gave him a reassuring smile as she took hold of his hand. Like Draco, she felt that he'd pitched his speech just right and while he hadn't said much, it had been clear in every word he did say that Mia was the centre of his universe and all he wanted was for her to be happy.

"I think we have now heard everything we need to hear," Judge Henson announced. "This hearing will be adjourned for the day. We will reconvene at ten o'clock tomorrow morning and hopefully a verdict will be ready to deliver."

Knowing that they'd done all they could, and all they could do now was pray that the worst wouldn't happen, Draco and Hermione left the hearing room with Blaise. Heading to the manor, they then dined with Draco's parents as they prepared themselves for the longest wait of their lives. In a few short hours Mia's destiny, and that of the entire family, would be decided.


	26. Chapter 26

After a restless night's sleep, Draco and Hermione rose early on the morning of the final day of the hearing. Neither of them spoke of the possibility that they might lose custody of Mia, although it was weighing on both of their minds. However, they tried to keep things as normal as possible for the girls and they never mentioned that today was the day the hearing committee would be making a final decision on Mia's future.

Usually Hermione was the one who made sure the girls were dressed and had everything they would need for a day with their grandparents, but Draco took over the task for the morning as Hermione had one final look around the house in case they'd missed anything they couldn't live without. At the beginning of the week, Draco had left a bag at the manor containing a few clothes for all four of them, as well as a few things neither he nor Hermione wanted to leave behind. However, just in case everything went wrong at the hearing, Hermione was making final check to see if they'd missed anything.

Truthfully, Hermione didn't want to leave anything behind. In every room there was something of sentimental value and it broke her heart to think that she might never again set foot in the home she'd first made with Zara. Hermione had moved into the house while she was pregnant, and every room held so many memories of her daughter. Then of course there were all the newer memories with Draco and Mia, and the four of them as a family.

Finding a couple more bits she couldn't bear to be parted from, Hermione slid them into her bag before joining Draco and the girls and heading to the manor. The second they landed at the manor, Mia and Zara rushed off to find Lucius and Narcissa. Quickly the couple heard noises coming from the front room and when they entered they were stunned to see a lot of their friends had gathered.

They'd already arranged to meet Blaise at the manor and go to the Ministry together, but Pansy was also with him along with Zack. Harry and Ginny were also there with their children, as were the Weasley twins and their wives. And finally Molly and Arthur were present, looking slightly uncomfortable in their surroundings.

"What's going on?" Hermione asked in bewilderment as Mia and Zara settled down with the other children to play.

"We're here to support you," Harry answered, giving his best friend a supportive grin.

"We know we can't come with you to the Ministry, but we wanted you to know we're all behind you," Pansy added.

"That is so kind," Hermione whispered, feeling her already fragile emotions rise up and threaten to engulf her. "Thank you."

"We appreciate it," Draco said, hugging Pansy and shaking hands with everyone else.

"And when you get back, we can have a celebration," Molly said.

"Let's hope there's something to celebrate," Draco muttered.

"There will be," Arthur said with confidence. "You and Hermione are clearly the better parents, and I'm sure the committee will see that."

"We'll soon find out," Blaise said, checking the time. "We should be off."

Not wanting to make a fuss in front of the girls, Draco and Hermione gave them both a quick kiss and only Lucius accompanied them back to the floo room. Once they were free of the living room, and all their well-meaning friends, Hermione asked the question that had occurred to her the second she'd seen so many people at the manor. If things went wrong, how were they supposed to leave without causing a fuss?

"Let's try and stay positive," Lucius said, giving Hermione's arm a reassuring squeeze. "But I can promise you that if the worst happens, we'll be able to get away just fine. I'm sure Blaise can help us distract people so we can leave."

"I can," Blaise agreed with a nod. "But let's not think of that now. Let's be positive. After what happened yesterday, the committee would have to be wrong of their minds to award Astoria custody."

"Let's hope you're right," Draco said to his best friend as he activated the floo and one by one, he, Hermione and Blaise headed to the Ministry.

As had been the case throughout the hearing, they arrived before Astoria and Ron, and when the couple did arrive, they studiously ignored them. At ten o'clock exactly they were summoned into the hearing room and the two couples took their seats to await the verdict of the hearing. As the committee also took their places, Hermione and Draco tried to decide which way they thought they were going to go, but everyone's face was set in a serious expression which gave nothing away.

"I think it's best if we get straight down to business," Judge Henson began. "These hearings are never easy, and while both sides presented very strong cases, the committee and I easily reached a unanimous decision. At this moment in time, we are refusing Miss Greengrasses appeal for custody of her daughter. Mr Malfoy will retain custody."

Hermione couldn't help but let out a relieved sob at the announcement as Draco pulled her into his arms for a hug. While Draco and Hermione were euphoric at the result, across the room Astoria had dropped her head into her hands and Ron looked shell-shocked.

"I do have a few more things I wish to say," Judge Henson announced after giving both couples a few minutes to digest the ruling. "Firstly, no appeals will be made on this judgement."

"You can't do that," Pike spluttered. "An appeal is part of our legal system."

"If you would let me finish, Mr Pike, I was going to go on to say that no appeals will be made on this judgement unless there is a major change of circumstances on either side," Judge Henson snapped, glaring in annoyance at the lawyer. "We believe Miss Greengrass when she claims she wants to get to know her daughter, but as things stand, we don't believe awarding her custody is in the best interests of Mia Malfoy. Mia Malfoy is settled with her father and soon to be step-mother, and to break that arrangement, something monumental will have to occur."

"We should still be able to have the right to an appeal," Pike argued, sounding a bit like a petulant child. "A different committee could have reached a different conclusion."

"I really don't think so," Judge Henson replied with a shake of his head. "You were asking a committee to agree to remove a young girl from a stable home with people she loves, and send her to a foreign country with a mother she barely remembers. There was no support from anyone Mia Malfoy is currently in contact with, and the entire thing would have proved far too overwhelming for such a young girl. I can say with a fair amount of certainty that no committee would have agreed to such a request."

"We would have had support," Ron interrupted. "Astoria's parents were going to support us, and my parents would have come round."

"Your parents were very clear that they supported Mr Malfoy and Miss Granger," Judge Henson told Ron. "And as for Miss Greengrasses parents, we really couldn't ignore the fact that they've been living in the same country as their granddaughter for two years, and yet made no move to see her. It wouldn't be any sort of continuity for Mia Malfoy, as she barely knows her grandparents."

"But if Mia was with us, she could get to know them," Ron protested. "Malfoy's stopped them from getting to know her."

"I did no such thing," Draco hissed. "Astoria's parents were free to come and see Mia whenever they wanted, they were the ones who chose not to."

"Now is the not the time to get into such arguments," Judge Henson said, raising his hands to silence the two bickering wizards. "Our ruling is final, and as I said, it will stand unless there's a change on circumstances for either couple. Miss Greengrass, we commend you for your effort to reconnect with your daughter and we urge you to keep up with the visits. One of the problems we had was that Mia doesn't really know you. You may not have custody, but you can still have access to your daughter."

"Is that your official ruling?" Pike asked, smirking smugly towards Draco, Hermione and Blaise. "That Miss Greengrass can have access to her daughter?"

"It is our suggestion," Judge Henson replied. "Visits can be arranged between Miss Greengrass and Mr Malfoy. I trust that they will both do what is right for Mia without the courts having to step in. Thank you for your time, and I hope you will all do what is best for Mia as it is clear that she has so many people who love her."

"Yeah, none of whom are sitting at that other table," Blaise muttered to Draco as Judge Henson officially closed the hearing and ended Astoria's bid for custody.

"Do you think we're going to have problems with her?" Hermione asked as Ron helped Astoria to her feet and swept her from the room before they could speak to her.

"No," Draco answered as he watched his ex-wife scuttle out of the room.

"You don't think she's going to want access?" Blaise asked.

"No," Draco replied. "You saw her, she hasn't uttered a word today. My guess is she's pleased she's lost."

"What?" Hermione questioned in bewilderment. "You think she wanted to lose?"

"Before today I wasn't certain, but after her reaction to the decision, I am now," Draco answered with a nod. "We agreed long ago that this was never about Mia, it was all about hanging onto Weasley. First she faked a pregnancy and miscarriage, and then she fought for custody of Mia. All to give the illusion she was trying to give him the family he wanted."

"But that failed," Blaise pointed out. "Now they don't have Mia, what's to stop Weasley from wanting them to try for another baby."

"Nothing, but I would bet Astoria can keep him at bay for a while," Draco said. "All she has to do is claim to be too devastated by not getting Mia. Weasley seems to buy her poor Astoria act, so he'll likely not argue. My guess is they'll run back to Portugal within the next few days and we never hear from them again."

"I hope you're right," Hermione said. "I don't think regular access would go down well with Mia."

"It won't happen," Draco said confidently. "Astoria's recent visits have proven she doesn't really want to get to know Mia. She won't want to keep up the visits."

"We'll find out soon enough," Blaise said with a shrug. "But let's not worry about that. Let's get back to the manor and break the news. I bet everyone is on tenterhooks waiting for the decision."

Getting back to the manor only took a few minutes, and when they arrived they found everyone was still in the front room. All the children were happily playing together, while the adults all anxiously awaited news. When the trio entered the room, everyone sprung to their feet and gathered around them.

"Well?" Narcissa demanded, unable to take the stress any longer.

"Mia stays with us," Draco announced to cries to glee and tears of joy.

As the adults celebrated Draco and Hermione's victory, the children began to get curious and Zara squeezed her way into the group and tugged on Lucius's arm.

"What's going on, Grandpa Lu?" she asked.

"Good news, Zara," Lucius declared happily as he swung Zara up into his arms.

"What good news?" Mia asked as she also squeezed her way into the group followed by the other children.

"You're not going anywhere, sweetheart," Draco said as he picked Mia up and gave her a kiss. "Your other Mummy has gone."

"Forever?" Mia asked hopefully.

"We don't know," Hermione answered, not wanting to give Mia false hope as they couldn't swear that they'd seen the last of Astoria. "But she won't ever take you away from us. You're staying with me, Daddy and Zara."

"And Carrots and Cottontail?" Mia questioned.

"Carrots and Cottontail?" Narcissa frowned.

"Our rabbits," Zara explained. "Daddy said we can have rabbits."

"And rabbits you shall have," Draco promised with a laugh. "At the weekend we'll buy some rabbits and get the best hutch money can buy."

"After all this excitement I think I need a drink," Lucius muttered as he put Zara back down so she and the other children could go off and talk about the rabbits.

"I think we could all do with one," Draco remarked, taking a few extra moments to hug Mia before he also let her run off with Zara and the others.

"I don't know about anyone else, but I think this calls for a celebration," Narcissa said. "I'll go and see the elves and we can have a party in the garden."

No-one had any objections to the idea and half an hour later the group had moved into the heat controlled portion of the manor's gardens, where they celebrated the defeat of Astoria. While the children played in the playground Lucius had built for Mia, only stopping to eat and drink, Draco, Hermione and Blaise went over the entire hearing with their friends and family. Not only did they discuss previous days, but they repeated everything the judge had said when he made the ruling, and what it would mean for them.

"And you really don't think Astoria will push for visitation rights?" Harry checked.

"No," Draco answered. "This was never about Mia. She won't want to visit and get to know her, as that was never the objective here."

"I have to agree with Draco," Lucius said. "With any luck we've seen the last of that destructive witch."

"If only Ron could see through her," Molly said with a sigh. She was thrilled that the hearing had gone the right way, but she couldn't help but be concerned for Ron and the situation he'd found himself in with Astoria.

"He'll come to his senses eventually," Ginny said. "It just might take getting his heart broken though."

"I hope it doesn't come to that," Molly muttered. "Maybe I could reach out to him and try and talk to him again."

"It's worth a try," Hermione agreed, giving Molly a reassuring squeeze.

She didn't know if it would work, but she couldn't blame Molly for wanting to try. To be honest if Ron came to his senses and left Astoria everything would be perfect now that her claim for custody had been dismissed. Finally, Hermione and Draco could breathe easily and they no longer had to worry that their family was going to be torn apart. Now they could look to the future and start planning their wedding, and maybe even think of extending their family with a third child.


	27. Chapter 27

When the judge announced his decision, Astoria dropped her head into her hands, a mix of emotions racing through her. To be honest it was the result she'd been expecting, especially given how things had gone over the last couple of days, but she was no longer sure it was the result she'd wanted. To be honest her head was in such a mess, she no longer knew what she wanted.

The topic of gaining custody of Mia had first been raised by Ron when she'd made it clear she wasn't ready to try for another baby. Astoria hadn't exactly been thrilled with the idea, but as she'd thought about it, she'd decided it was the right way to go. She'd decided that if she and Ron had custody of Mia she could avoid any attempts for them to have a child of their own.

Once she'd warmed up to the idea, Astoria had rushed Ron into action. After securing a nanny to look after Mia once they had custody, since Astoria had no plans to actually raise her own daughter, the couple had arrived in England and hired a lawyer. Initially it had looked like an easy case to win as Astoria was in a serious relationship and could offer Mia a stable home, but then they'd discovered that Draco was engaged and everything had started to fall apart.

Astoria had initially been angry when she found out Draco was also in a serious relationship and had so much support, but then she began to see it as a good thing. Instead of gaining custody of Mia, and having to worry about having a child around the place ruining her perfect life, Astoria could lose the case and still have Ron's sympathies. Instead of using Mia as a reason not to have a child of their own, she could use her heartbreak of losing her daughter, and she knew Ron well enough to know he would buy her devastation and not press the issue. That way she could claim she'd tried to gain custody of Mia, but it was the courts that had thwarted her attempts to be a mother.

However, all that changed when she met Mia and Astoria felt stirrings of maternal instinct she would have sworn she was lacking. She was honest enough with herself to admit that she could never be a hands on mother to her daughter, especially when she was so young and they had nothing in common. But meeting Mia had filled her head with thoughts of the future and what it would be like to have Mia around when she was older. She imagined them going shopping and gossiping about boys, and those images alone were enough of a lure for her to once again want custody of her daughter. Even if it did mean having to have a nanny on hand until Mia was old enough to do all the fun things Astoria envisioned them doing together.

With so many conflicting thoughts in her head, Astoria wasn't sure how to react to the judge's ruling so she sat in silence, trying to process what was happening. She was dimly aware of Ron and their lawyer fighting her corner, but she couldn't bring herself to say anything herself. Partly because she wasn't sure what would come out of her mouth, and what she would accidentally reveal. Even Ron couldn't know what was going on in her head, as if he knew the truth, he wouldn't be happy and their relationship might come to an end.

"Come on Astoria," Ron whispered gently as he pulled her to her feet to usher her out of the room, without letting Draco anywhere near her. "Don't worry sweetheart, this isn't over."

Astoria remained silent as they left the Ministry and returned to their hotel room. Once in the hotel room she became aware of both Ron and Pike watching her warily and she knew she would have to show some sort of reaction. Pushing down her conflicting emotions, she focused on the reaction she wanted to convey to her lover and lawyer and looked at them with tear filled eyes.

"Is that it?" she asked quietly. "Have I really lost my daughter?"

"You haven't lost her," Ron assured her, taking her into his arms and holding her tightly. "We will get Mia. I swear to you."

"Mr Pike?" Astoria questioned, seeing the hesitancy on her lawyer's face.

"I don't want to give you false hope, Astoria," Pike said gently.

"What are you saying?" Ron demanded, rounding on the lawyer who was costing him a small fortune to represent Astoria.

"The judge may not have said as much, but he was basically saying you have no chance of getting custody of Mia," Pike replied.

"But Astoria is her mother," Ron argued.

"And Draco is her father," Pike countered. "These days that counts for just as much."

"What about these changed circumstances the judge mentioned?" Ron asked.

"The only way they'll come in to play is if there's a breakdown in Draco's relationship," Pike said. "Things would have been different if he was single. Even with the support he had, the courts would have been more likely to go with giving Mia two parents over the one."

"So Astoria and I getting married wouldn't change anything?" Ron asked.

"Married?" Astoria gasped, gazing at her boyfriend in surprise. "You want to marry me?"

"Of course I want to marry you, I love you," Ron said, smiling at his shocked girlfriend.

"No, it won't change anything," Pike said, breaking in before the couple got distracted from the topic in hand, which was Mia, not their love life. "With Draco being in a stable relationship, with lots of support, he would still be awarded custody."

"Would keeping up the visits help?" Ron questioned.

"They would help develop a bond between Astoria and Mia, but that's all," Pike replied honestly. "My advice is to forget about custody of Mia as long as Draco is in a stable relationship. As things stand, there's nothing you can do that would get the courts on your side."

"So that's it, I've lost my little girl," Astoria wailed, collapsing onto the bed in flood of fake tears.

"I won't stand for that," Ron seethed. "There has to be something we can do."

"I'm sorry, but there really isn't," Pike said sympathetically. "We've lost, and the best thing for you to do is accept it. I can arrange to keep up the visits to Mia if you like."

"No," Astoria cried, raising her head from the pillows and shaking it vigorously. "It's too painful. I can't see Mia for a couple of hours a week and then walk away from her. We have to leave, Ron. I want to go home."

"Are you sure?" Ron asked, perching on the bed beside his girlfriend.

"This will count against you if you decide to file for custody at a later date," Pike warned. "If Draco's relationship fails and you get your opportunity to gain custody of Mia, I have no doubt his shark of a lawyer will use this to hurt you."

"I don't care, I can't do it," Astoria said weepily.

Truthfully Astoria never intended to seek custody of her daughter again, but even if she did, she doubted it would be because Draco's relationship failed. She knew her ex-husband hated to fail at anything and would cling onto a relationship until it was beyond salvation, as he'd proven by not leaving her when their marriage had been going nowhere. Although from what she'd seen she had to admit his relationship with Hermione looked like the real thing, and although it stuck in her throat to admit it, the couple seemed to genuinely love each other.

"Please Ron, don't make me do it," Astoria pleaded. "Don't make me suffer the pain of losing my daughter every time I have to say goodbye to her. I can't cope with playing a part time mother to my daughter, while that muggleborn witch is playing happy families with her. It's best for us all if we just leave."

"If you're sure, I can arrange it and we can be home within a couple of days," Ron said.

"Thank you Ron," Astoria cried, throwing herself into her boyfriend's arms and declaring her undying love for him.

Seeing that his services were no longer required and that the case was well and truly at an end, Pike said his goodbyes and promised to have his final bill sent to the couple. He then left Ron and Astoria sitting holding each other as they planned their retreat from England, with their tails firmly between their legs.

* * *

The day after Draco and Hermione had won their custody hearing, Molly was debating the best way to reach out to her youngest son. Draco had seemed sure that now she'd lost any chance of custody that Astoria would leave the country, and Molly wanted to speak to Ron before he followed his girlfriend back to the continent. However, other than sending an owl and hoping Ron replied, she had no way of contacting her son. With it being the only course of action available to her, Molly settled down at the kitchen table to write a letter to her son, begging him to come and see her.

Molly was halfway through her letter when she heard the sound of someone apparating into the back garden. When the door opened, she looked up expecting to see one of the family popping by unexpectedly. What she didn't expect was for it to be Ron.

"Ron," she gasped, jumping to her feet and rushing over to her son. "I'm so glad you came to see me, I was just writing to you."

"An apology I hope," Ron sneered.

"Apology?" Molly frowned.

"For not supporting Astoria and I," Ron clarified.

"I'm sorry Ron, but we made it clear that we couldn't support what you're doing," Molly said. "It doesn't change how we feel about you though. You're our son, and we love you."

"Funny, you haven't shown it since I've been back," Ron snorted.

"Just because we won't support your efforts to take a little girl away from her family doesn't mean we don't love you," Molly said.

"Astoria is Mia's family," Ron argued. "She's her mother, Mum, not Hermione."

"Biology doesn't make her a mother," Molly argued. "I'm sorry Ron, but we're never going to agree on this. I was hoping we could put it behind us and move on."

"What? Now we've lost and Astoria will never get her daughter back?" Ron questioned.

"I'm very sorry for Astoria, but the judge made the right decision. Mia belongs with Draco and Hermione."

"I can't agree there, but it's not like we can argue anymore," Ron said with a shrug.

"You're accepting the court's decision?" Molly checked, thinking how relieved Hermione would be if she could inform her Astoria wasn't going to be a problem any more.

"We are," Ron confirmed. "And before you ask, Astoria won't be visiting Mia. It's too painful for her."

"So she's walking away again?" Molly questioned, unable to keep the distaste from her voice.

"It's the only way she can survive the loss, Mum," Ron said quietly. "She's broken up over what's happened. I left her curled up in bed, sobbing over the fact she's lost her daughter. If you saw her Mum, you'd feel for her, I know you would. She's not the monster Malfoy makes her out to be."

"Maybe we should give her a chance," Molly conceded. Given what she knew about Astoria she knew she would never like the witch her son was involved with, but she felt as though they owed it to Ron to at least try and get to know Astoria. "You could come round to dinner one night."

"I'm sorry Mum, but that won't be possible," Ron said, actually sounding regretful. "Astoria and I are going back to Portugal this evening."

"You're leaving?" Molly questioned with a sob, wishing she'd spent more time with her son during his flying visit.

"We are," Ron confirmed with a nod. "And we're not coming back. There's nothing here for us anymore."

"Your family are here, Ron," Molly argued.

"My family turned their backs on me when I needed them and their support," Ron countered. "I'm sorry Mum, but I can't forget the lack of support I've gotten from you all. Maybe in time I can forgive you, but not right now. Right now, I have to put Astoria first, and she needs to go home and forget about what's happened here."

"You mean forget about her daughter," Molly snorted. "I'm sorry Ron, but she's just using you. Why can't you see it? She's going to break your heart."

"No, she won't," Ron insisted stubbornly. "She loves me and we're going to spend the rest of our lives together. Goodbye Mum, I'll be in touch when I'm ready to talk."

"And I'll be here when that she-devil shows her true colours and you discover we were right all along," Molly said, embracing her son. "I love you Ron."

As Ron left, Molly could do nothing but watch with a heavy heart. She knew her son was stubborn, and she knew nothing she could say could make him see Astoria for who she truly was. One day the scales would lift and he would see the truth, all Molly hoped was that it was sometime soon and Ron didn't end up broken by his girlfriend's lies. She'd already done enough damage to poor Mia and Draco, and Molly hated to think of her son being another one of her victims. However, there was nothing she could do about that right now. Ron was a grown man and he could make his own decisions in life.

Instead Molly vowed to focus on the good things. Instead of worrying about Ron, she would focus on Hermione, Draco and their family. Thankfully they now had a chance at their happy ending and Molly couldn't be happier for the family. They were proof that things worked out in the end, and Molly had faith that things would eventually work out for everyone. With any luck they wouldn't be the only ones to get their happy endings and before long everyone would be free of Astoria and ready to carry on their lives without her presence souring things.


	28. Epilogue

**A/N - We've reached the end of A Family United, and I want to thank everyone for reading, and for taking the time to review. And even though I say it at the end of every story, I once again want to thank people for their wonderful support. It means to much to me that so many people enjoy my stories. I hope you al enjoyed this story, and I will see you all soon with my next story.**

* * *

 **Epilogue.**

 **Two and a Half Years Later.**

The back garden of The Burrow was filled with the sounds of children laughing and playing, adults talking and joking, and merriment in general as the Weasleys and their closest friends spent a beautiful summer day enjoying themselves. Aside from one member of the Weasley family, all the redheads and their extended family were present, and they'd been joined by the Malfoys and Zabinis.

Settled on a deckchair, Hermione nursed her glass of cranberry juice as she watched her daughters run around the garden with the other children. Mia and Zara were both seven years old now, and she couldn't be prouder of her girls. They were both excelling at school and Hermione had high hopes that when they went off to Hogwarts in a few years they would achieve just as much, if not more, than she and Draco had.

"Mum, we're going to play quidditch," Mia yelled as she and Zara ran past with some of the others and headed towards the bottom of the garden where Harry was organising mini quidditch matches for the children.

"How have I ended up with children that like quidditch?" Hermione muttered to herself as her daughters hopped on broomsticks like mini experts. Even Zara, who'd never ridden a broom in her life until Lucius had bought her one, was now flying mad and loved to be up in the air.

"You're just lucky I guess," Draco remarked as he flopped down in the chair next to his wife's. The pair had finally tied the knot a little under two years ago, with Mia and Zara acting as their bridesmaids.

"This is your influence," Hermione scolded her husband.

"Don't blame me, blame Harry," Draco said with a laugh. "He's the quidditch star. He arranges these little tournaments nearly every weekend. I tell you, if he gets his way in a few years' time the league will be overrun with Weasleys and their kin."

"And you don't help at all, do you?" Hermione argued. "Normally you'd be right at his side urging the girls on. So why aren't you?"

"Can't a wizard just check on his wife?" Draco questioned, giving Hermione his most innocent look.

"I don't need checking on, Draco," Hermione reminded the blond. "I'm perfectly fine."

"You're more than fine, you're perfect," Draco said sincerely as he leaned over and kissed his wife. As he did so his hand trailed down to her stomach and rested on the considerable bulge Hermione was sporting.

"You're just saying that because I'm carrying your son," Hermione laughed, her own hand joining Draco's on her seven month baby bump.

"Maybe," Draco joked.

"Ah, so once I've had Scorpius I'll be no more use to you," Hermione chuckled.

"Scorpius?" Draco frowned. "When did we decide the baby's name?"

"The girls informed me this morning that they've chosen a name, and it was Scorpius," Hermione said.

Once they'd discovered they were having a boy, Hermione and Draco had given some thought to their child's name and decided to follow the old Black tradition of using stars and constellations since Draco hadn't had that chance with Mia. After narrowing their options down to four, they had passed them onto the girls and said that they could make the final choice and name their new brother.

"That was my favourite name of the ones we'd picked," Draco admitted.

"I was rather partial to Scorpius myself," Hermione confessed. "Luckily the girls were on the same wave length."

"And did they seem happy to have picked a name?" Draco asked, turning his head to watch as their two daughters whizzed around at the bottom of the garden playing quidditch.

"Yes Draco, they're happy," Hermione assured her husband. She knew Draco was worried about how the girls were taking the news they were going to have a new brother, but from everything Hermione had seen they were taking it in their stride and actually looking forward to getting a new sibling.

"Do you think we're doing enough to include them in things?" Draco checked, turning his attention back to his wife. "I don't want them to feel as though we're pushing them out and replacing them with a new baby."

"Draco, the girls know how much we love them," Hermione said, giving her husband's hand a squeeze. "They know they aren't being replaced. Scorpius will just be another addition to our family. One the girls are looking forward to meeting. Believe me Draco, Mia and Zara are thrilled that they're going to get a baby brother. Now stop worrying and help me up."

"Why do you want to get up?" Draco asked, slight panic evident in his voice. "Is there something wrong?"

"Nothing wrong, I just need the bathroom," Hermione said, holding her hand out so her husband could help haul her bulk out of the deckchair.

"Again?" Draco asked as he helped Hermione to her feet. "Haven't you just been?"

"I think Scorpius is tap-dancing on my bladder today," Hermione replied with a rueful chuckle as she gave her husband a peck on the cheek and headed into the house.

After using the bathroom, Hermione was on her way back down the stairs when she heard the floo network sounding from the front room. Hermione was puzzled as to who it could be, since all the family were already present, but she got her answer before she reached the foot of the stairs as Ron's head warily poked out of the front room. Hermione couldn't control the gasp that left her lips at the sight of her old friend. She hadn't seen or heard from Ron since he'd been in the country with Astoria, and she knew the Weasleys had barely spoken to him since then either.

"Hello Hermione," Ron said warily as Hermione walked down the last couple of stairs. "Wow," he gasped, spotting her protruding stomach. "You're pregnant."

"I am," Hermione replied shortly.

"And you're not pleased to see me," he added with a sigh. "Not that I can blame you. Not after last time I saw you."

"I wish it could be different Ron," Hermione said. "I wish I could be happy to see you, but I can still remember what happened last time you turned up unexpectedly."

"So can I," Ron replied with a grimace. "I don't know if it'll help any, but I am sorry Hermione. I wish more than anything that things had been different last time I was here."

"That's a major turnaround Ron," Hermione observed. "I hope you're not too offended, if I'm wary of what you're saying. After all, last time we saw each other you were trying to take my daughter off me."

"You have no idea how much I regret my actions, Hermione," Ron said sincerely.

"What's happened?" Hermione asked, recognising that something major had happened with Ron.

"I realised everything you and Malfoy said was right," Ron admitted.

"Astoria's finally shown her true colours," Hermione concluded.

"Let's just say I've had a bitter awakening," Ron replied. "Not that I expect you to have any sympathy for me. In your shoes, I would be pleased that I've had my heart broken."

"I would never be pleased about that Ron," Hermione said softly. "No matter what happened last time, you're still my friend and I wouldn't be happy to see you hurt. I just wish we could have gotten through to you last time."

"Me too," Ron said with a sigh.

"Are you coming through?" Hermione asked, noticing that Ron had made no move to head further into the house. "Everyone's here."

"I can go and come back later if you would rather," Ron offered. "I don't want to ruin anyone's day."

"You're here now Ron, come through and say hello," Hermione said. "Although, people will be asking questions."

"I guess it'll be easier to explain this once, rather than having to go through it time and time again," Ron conceded as he took a couple of fortifying breaths before following Hermione through the house and out into the kitchen.

When the pair emerged into the garden it was instant pandemonium when people spotted Ron. Draco was the first over to his wife, and the first thing he wanted to know was if Astoria was with Ron. After what had happened last time, he wasn't taking any chances and if his ex-wife was around, he was taking Mia and leaving. His daughter was finally over the trauma of her mother re-entering her life two and a half years ago, and there was no way Draco was going to put his daughter through the pain she'd gone through last time.

"I'm alone," Ron assured Draco.

"You better be," Draco snarled. "If you're lying Weasley, I won't be responsible for my actions."

"Astoria isn't here, nor will she be joining me," Ron said.

"What's happened?" Ginny questioned her brother. By now almost every adult was standing around Ron, and they were all eager to see what he had to say for himself.

"I found out the truth about Astoria," Ron said, sounding bitter. "A couple of months ago I had an accident while playing quidditch, and it resulted in the end of my career."

"Why didn't you get in touch?" Molly demanded, unable to help herself fussing over her youngest son.

"I was going to, but then everything kicked off with Astoria," Ron replied. "She was sympathetic at first, but then she realised that things weren't going to be the same without the money I made from quidditch and from the sponsorship deals I had. We'd been living the high life, and we didn't have any sort of decent savings. I suggested selling the house, but Astoria wasn't having any of it. That's when she realised, I was no longer going to be able to keep her in the style she'd become accustomed to."

"She dumped you because your career came to an end?" Arthur checked with a frown.

"It was more because I didn't have the same income," Ron said. "Once she realised how much things were going to change, she couldn't get away fast enough. Within a few weeks of leaving me she'd moved onto some rich wizard a good twenty years older than her."

"I'm sorry Ron," Molly said sympathetically.

"Oh, it gets worse," Ron said with a wry smile. "I bought the house, but I also put her name on the deeds so we had that to sort after she'd left. At the time I was harbouring hopes of getting back together, but Astoria doused them quickly enough. She was pretty brutal and admitted she'd only been with me because of my money and fame. She also admitted a few other things."

"Like the fact she'd never been pregnant with your child," Draco guessed.

"You were right, there'd never been a baby," Ron admitted with a long sigh. "She told me she'd never had any intention of having children. She said she'd only had Mia because you were there when she found out she was pregnant and she was worried that you would find out if she had an abortion. As for our baby, she made up the entire pregnancy when I started to talk about children. She'd hoped a miscarriage would put me off for a while and give her time to persuade me that we didn't need kids."

"So then why did she want custody of Mia?" Hermione asked.

"I suggested it because I thought she loved and missed her daughter," Ron confessed. "But like everything else she'd told me, it was a lie to make me feel sympathetic towards her. She said she was pleased she didn't get custody of Mia as she didn't want to be tied down with a child. That's one of the reasons she's now with an older wizard, he's had children who are now grown up and doesn't want any more. She's finally got what she wants, and didn't mind breaking my heart to get it."

"Sorry Weasley," Draco offered. "I know what it's like to be manipulated by Astoria, and it's not nice."

"It's even worse when people were telling me and I chose to ignore them," Ron said. "I could have avoided all this heartache and pain if only I'd listened last time I was here."

"It's done now and we can't change the past," Molly said, wrapping her arm around her son and giving him a hug. "You need to move on Ron, and forget all about that witch."

"I intend to," Ron said. "And to start with, I'm hoping to make amends to Hermione and Malfoy. I want them to know how sorry I am. I never should have backed Astoria."

"I can't say it didn't hurt, Ron, but I can forgive you," Hermione said. "I don't want to hold grudges. We're moving on with our lives, and I hope you can do that as well."

"I agree, we should put this behind us," Draco said, extending his hand towards Ron. "I accept your apology, Weasley."

"Thank you Malfoy," Ron said, shaking the blond's hand.

"Does this mean you're here to stay?" Molly asked.

"Yes, I'm moving back home," Ron confirmed. "Not that I'm sure what I'm going to do with my life, but I know my life in Portugal is over."

"For a start, grab some food and join in the fun," Molly urged. "You've got plenty of nieces and nephews to get to know."

"I've missed so much," Ron muttered as his mother ushered him off to grab some food.

As the others also began to disperse, Draco gently grabbed hold of Hermione and wrapped his arms around her.

"Are you okay?" Hermione asked her husband.

"I'm relieved," Draco admitted. "I know it's all over now. I always thought Astoria would stay away after she'd lost in court, but it's good to have it confirmed."

"I know what you mean. She was always a lingering threat to our happiness," Hermione agreed. Even though they hadn't spoken of Astoria in over two years, Draco's ex-wife had continued to be a shadowy presence in their lives as they both secretly worried that she would return again and try and take their daughter for a second time.

"Now we can really move on and forget about her," Draco declared. "The future is ours, Hermione. Me, you, Zara, Mia and Scorpius."

"A proper family," Hermione concluded.

"A family united," Draco said with a smile as he gave his wife a kiss. Things hadn't always been easy, but finally the future looked bright and trouble free for the Malfoys.

 **The End.**


End file.
